


A Reason to Stay

by lamaries



Category: Der kleine Vampir | Little Vampire - Angela Sommer-Bodenburg, The Little Vampire, The Little Vampire (2000), The Little Vampire 3D (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood, Boyfriends, Boys In Love, Crushes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Declarations Of Love, Drama & Romance, Falling In Love, First Meetings, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Parent Death, Romance, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Teen Crush, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2020-12-17 04:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 64,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21047987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lamaries/pseuds/lamaries
Summary: Tony Thompson was adopted by a vampire hunter named Rookery when he was three years old. When he forces Tony to kill the vampire that took his nightmares away, the teenager panics.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work is inspired by danaiyu_ on Instagram.  
Here's the post this fic is based off of: https://www.instagram.com/p/BsYFnd4nS6Y/  
Follow her Insta! She is amazing at art and is super nice and friendly.

Tony Thompson’s parents died in a car accident when he was three years old. He was in the vehicle with them when it happened, strapped tightly to his car seat while he watched shattered glass fly through the windshield. He had called out to his mom and dad for what seemed like hours, but only saw his parents’ lifeless bodies, hanging limp from their seatbelts. 

That day was something that he could never forget, he could never get out of his head, out of his dreams. He woke up screaming nearly every night.

He was put up for adoption because he didn’t have any living relatives. The young boy was adopted by a raggy looking man named Rookery. He had slicked back silver hair and deep gray stubble. His hoop earring frightened Tony, but he was kind to him when the forms were being signed, he even ruffled Tony’s hair and hugged him tightly.

“Everything’s going to be okay, Tony,” he had said to him with a crooked grin, his hooked nose bending with the smile. He smelled like garlic, and Tony eventually realized he always smelled like that. 

The two lived in a small apartment complex full of crying babies up and down the cramped halls. They made Tony cry too, but Rookery yelled at him to shut up, leaving Tony to cower under his covers until Rookery came to apologize for his harshness.

The first thing Rookery did when Tony turned four was take him to Germany. He made Tony say tearful goodbyes to his friends in preschool, all the while saying, “Everything’s going to be okay, Tony.” 

He had to leave everything behind in California, and was only able to bring a few items of clothing, and a stuffed cow he was given by his parents before the crash. The rest of the things Rookery brought he was forbidden to see.

On the plane, Rookery told him stories about things lurking in the Black Forest mountains. He told of all the wild animals, but most of all, vampires. The man gave detailed descriptions of their powers, their thrall, how they flew, and their fangs. _God, _the fangs were the part that terrified Tony most of all. Rookery said they were sharp and pointy and could sink into Tony’s skin inches and inches, draining every last drop of life from him. He talked on and on until the small child was quivering in his seat, clutching his stuffed animal to his heart.

All Tony wanted was to be home again, in his parents’ arms, safe from this strange man. He wasn’t like a new father to Tony. He was like a person his mother always warned him not to talk to in public. Rookery scared Tony into silence. He only did what the man let him do.

When the two were inside the cab after the plane landed, Tony wanted to know how long they were away from their new house. He had tugged on Rookery’s sleeve. “Daddy-” 

Rookery threw Tony off his arm, and closed his hand around his wrist so tightly that it hurt. “You will never, ever call me Daddy, Dad or even Father. My name is _Rookery, _and you will call me _Rookery. _Understand?” 

Tony let a frightened tear run down his cheek, nodding vigorously, but Rookery didn’t loosen his grip. “I- I understand- you’re- you’re hurting me. Please, please let go.”

Rookery gave Tony a tobacco stained grin. “Good,” he released Tony and turned to look out the window, tapping his fingers on his dirty pewter jeans along with the music on the radio.

The pair lived in a little two-story blue house. Tony had his own room with a bookshelf and a little mobile. He even had a window seat with long, billowing curtains, where he could look out to the forest and rolling mountains from his little room. Tony was even allowed to go to the local school.

When he was seven years old, a man came to live with him and Rookery. He was very nice, and when he first met Tony, he gave him a little brown teddy bear. “Hello, my name is Manny. What’s yours?” he had asked Tony. The little boy immediately knew he liked the red-headed man far better than Rookery. 

Manny read stories to him every night when Rookery didn’t tuck him into bed. Rookery never did that for Tony, but Manny did.

Rookery was always working at night, so he was asleep by the time Tony left to walk to school in the morning. Then Manny started to drive Tony to school. He would even pick him up if he had time, even though he always looked tired and had deep bags underneath his eyes.

Manny read Tony stories about knights and dragons, princes and princesses in castles, but Tony liked the one about vampires the most. 

It was about a vampire in the mountains who met a young boy. They went on many adventures together. It made the horror stories of vampires Rookery told him so much less scary when Tony knew there were at least some good vampires out there. Manny didn’t like the story all that much, but read it to Tony anyway. 

Manny once even told Tony of a vampire he had seen when he was a child. It had jet black hair and gleaming fangs. He had waved at Manny with light purple- almost gray hand. Tony asked Manny to tell that story over and over to him, describing the vampire with more detail each time.

Tony loved Manny like a father. He was the closest thing he had ever had to one since his parents. 

He hugged Manny each night when Rookery yelled for him to start working. Tony would listen to Manny’s retreating footsteps until he could only hear Rookery’s shouting. The young boy hated it the most when Manny would say something back, because that would normally be followed by a hard slap, and he always knew it wasn’t Manny who had done it.

Rookery frightened him more than ever, so he would stop speaking whenever Rookery entered the room. If he was reading a book or playing with his stuffed animals, he would drop it and stare at the man, wide eyed, until he left. He had been Rookery’s child for over four years, and he still felt like a stranger to Tony.

Then, when Tony was ten years old, Manny was gone. Manny had tucked him in like every night, but this time after he left, when Rookery was yelling, Manny shouted back so loudly it shook the little house. Tony listened intently, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Then Rookery’s voice, for once, lowered to a near silent murmur, and the front door slammed.

The next day, Tony had woken up alone in the house and walked to school. He just assumed the two had stayed out working for longer that night. But when Tony came home, Rookery’s door was closed and Manny wasn’t there. 

He had waited for Manny that night, and the next, and the next, but Manny never came back. Tony didn’t even get to say goodbye to him. Manny never even said goodbye.

When Tony was twelve he finally figured out that no one would ever really care about him, and the ones he thought did love him would leave him just as soon as they came. Rookery had made him learn that when he began to turn his anger towards Tony.

When he was thirteen, Tony was looking out the window one night when he saw a stunning brunette teenager walking down the street with his friends. Tony’s breath caught in his throat when he saw the boy look at him. He smiled and winked at Tony, who waved sheepishly with a blush creeping along his cheeks.

The teenager quickly reached in his pocket and scribbled something down on a piece of paper. He walked up to the house and climbed the drainpipe where Tony opened the window for him.

The boy held on tightly to the windowsill and looked up at him. When he saw Tony’s eyes flick to his lips, he smirked. The brunette brought his lips to the blond boy’s gently. Tony gasped. 

He realized right then and there how much he liked boys. In class, there were a few girls that had told Tony they liked him, but he had never felt the same for them, and he had never really even like girls in the first place. He only noticed boys in his class, but had never thought about it like this before, but he liked it. _This must be what it feels like to be wanted, _Tony thought. 

The blond teenager’s hand reached up to grasp tightly wound curls, closing his eyes. His friends below whistled and hollered, which made the brunette smile into the kiss. When they broke apart, he pressed the piece of paper into Tony’s hands.

“Call me,” he said in a deep, husky voice. Then, he was gone, sliding down the drainpipe. All of a sudden, Rookery came clamoring out of the house and down the steps, brandishing a gun.

“GET AWAY FROM MY HOUSE, YOU REPTILES!” he screamed, shooting a few shots into the air, which set the teenagers off running, ducking as they screamed. Tony watched the brunette until he disappeared. Tony looked down at the scrawled telephone number on the paper. He bit his lip where he had just been kissed by the beautiful boy, and smiled. 

Tony called the number twice. Both times it rang out, and the boy never called back, so Tony never called again either. He was sure that the boy hadn’t really cared about him, and was just doing it for his friends to laugh. Laugh at Tony for being a desperate, miserable little thirteen year old who didn’t deserve anything good.

When Tony was fifteen, Rookery finally revealed where he went at night.

“Come here, my boy,” Rookery had opened Tony’s door with a bang while he was doing homework, “tonight we go vampire hunting!”

“But I’m doing this right now, Rookery,” Tony murmured, trying not to sound surprised by the fact that his guardian had been killing those things for money all those years. Rookery let out a loud groan and moved swiftly to where the blond boy was lying on the bed. Tony sat up quickly and backed up as fast as he could, but Rookery was already grasping his arm. He wrenched Tony from the bed, letting him hit the ground with a dull thud. He enclosed around the boy, his hooked nose nearly brushing Tony’s face.

“You will do as I tell you, boy, you will do it exactly when I say it and without question,” he growled, his garlic stench making Tony’s eyes sting with tears. He nodded harshly.

“Y-yes- sir.” 

“Good,” Rookery released Tony and the teenager let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. “Now get your shoes on. We’ll be out all night.” 

Tony wanted to mention to Rookery that it was only Tuesday night and he had school in the morning, but he didn’t want anything worse to happen if he said something.

He slipped his boots on and shrugged into his coat as he practically chased Rookery out the door. Climbing into his large junky truck, Rookery shoved a device with a sonar vector screen. “You remember Manny, don’t you?” Rookery chuckled cruelly. Of course Tony would remember. He just stared at the green line rotating around the circle, searching for signs of a vampire. “He was absolutely useless, but his inventions, somehow, were quite helpful in killing those miserable brats. Called that thing InfraDead.”

“You’ve killed vampires before?” Tony had mumbled.

“Of course I have, you idiot! What did you think I’ve been doing all these years?” Tony shrugged and turned back to the InfraDead to avoid looking into Rookery’s hate filled eyes, sinking farther back into the seat. Suddenly, he heard a small ping from the sonar device. A green dot had appeared on the small screen. Rookery shouted and swerved on the road, switching lanes. “Where is it?” he yelled, grabbing the flashlight sitting next to the seat. He flicked it on, shining the beam out into the night sky towards where Tony had pointed. The truck swerved again.

This time, he drove off the road, and Tony yelped as the truck flew over a ditch, heading straight through the forest. In a clearing, Rookery flashed his light onto a body soaring across the sky, and when the light hit it, the thing fell to the ground.

Rookery let out a childish hoot, approaching quickly to the spot where it fell. He pounded the brake so that the truck, with a sharp lurch, came to a stop. Rookery jumped out, clutching the light in his hands. He stopped for only a moment when Tony hadn’t moved from the truck.

“Are you blind? Get your lazy ass out here and help me kill it!” Tony had groaned and pushed open the door, walking with his hands shoved deep in his pockets to the vampire lying down in a creek, looking up at Rookery.

Tony stopped in his tracks to look at it. It’s frizzy black hair stuck out and it’s pale purple-gray skin was streaked with black ash. It’s thin chest was heaving, and he could hear its ragged breaths coming in and out, speeding up as Rookery approached the vampire. It tried to sit up, but fell back after it groaned in pain.

“Do you see, boy?” Rookery said excitedly. “This _creature _is helpless to me! And soon, _very soon, _you will be able to do all of this with me! We’ll be a team, me and you.”

Tony smiled weakly, and he felt a lurch of his stomach as Rookery turned back to the vampire. He needed to stall him. “Wh- what if I didn’t want to?” he knew that would get Rookery going, and it did.

He stopped in his tracks. Whipping around, he dropped the flashlight and advanced on Tony. “You, my boy are a vampire hunter now,” he barked, throwing Tony to the ground. Tony rolled over to face Rookery, fearful of what he would do to him, if the vampire would be able to get away in the time Rookery was distracted. “You will learn,” he kicked Tony, his hard soled boots digging into the blond’s ribcage. “To _love _it,” the man kicked him again, and while Tony held himself, shaking, he locked eyes with the vampire, who looked at him painfully, nodding reassuringly before closing its eyes as Rookery brought the beam of his flashlight to its face. Tony yelped and began to cry, tears falling to the dirt when he heard it scream, all of the life left inside of it leaving as it dropped limply to the ground, unmoving.

The rest of the truck ride had been silent and tense. Rookery tapped the steering wheel to a silent rhythm, and Tony stared out the window, wondering what it would be like if his parents had never died at all; if there had been no accident. 

He may have had a loving childhood. One with happiness, and good friends and no worries at all. He would have never met the nightmare of a man that Rookery was, and he would have never had to watch him kill a vampire. He wouldn’t even have been afraid of them in the first place, because there would have been nothing to be afraid of.

He wished, realizing for once in his whole life, that he was loved. Tony wanted to know what it felt like to want to be with someone for his lifetime, and that someone wanting to be a part of his life as well. 

Arriving home hours later after searching aimlessly for other vampires to no avail, Tony collapsed on his bed. Tears began to spill over, wetting his pillow. The blond boy breathed deep sobs, choking on his saliva. Nothing deserved to die, even if it was a vampire. Tony didn’t care. Rookery had no right to take a vampire’s life if it was minding its own business. Everything had a purpose; it must. Or else Tony didn’t have a purpose at all. 

He stopped whimpering suddenly when he heard Rookery’s heavy footsteps on the hardwood outside the door, and let more tears slip by when the door to Rookery’s room closed with a loud bang. 

Tony fell asleep soon after that, his cheeks still wet against the pillow. Two hours later, his alarm woke him up for school, and he begrudgingly silenced it to throw aside the covers and get ready for the day. Tony trudged to school, sleepy eyed. He nearly fell asleep in each class and had to pinch himself just to stay awake. He spaced out of every conversation he had with his friends, closing his eyes until someone shook him. Tony eventually made it back to the little powder blue house, falling asleep as soon as he sat down on his bed.

He was shaken awake by Rookery. No, he was pulled off the bed and shouted at. 

“What are you doing, boy? You need to get ready for hunting tonight,” Rookery yelled. Tony only groaned and turned over on the floor to face Rookery.

Rookery suddenly stopped talking and stood up with a grin on his face. “That’s okay, my boy!” he bellowed. “I was thinking anyways… last night when I took you with, you just slowed me down. So, tonight you will be staying home with the InfraDead, and you will be talking to me with this,” Rookery tossed a large gray walkie-talkie onto Tony’s stomach. 

“You will call me every thirty minutes to update me, but when you see a vampire, you will tell me, and guide me through where to go. Is everything clear?”

Tony nodded, clutching the bulky radio in his quivering hands.

“Good, now,” Rookery grabbed Tony by the collar and threw him onto his window seat, holding his arm, “this will be where you sit, and you will stay here all night. Don’t pull anything funny, because, believe me,” Rookery was so close to Tony’s face. The blond boy tried to close his eyes to rid himself of the nightmare, but Rookery tightened his grip on Tony, shaking him until the teenager looked into his dark, dead eyes. “You will not find it funny later.”

Rookery suddenly stood up with a wide grin on his face. “Right! I’m off now! I’ll see you once I return!” the man practically pranced out of the room, bouncing down the steps. 

Tony rubbed his sore arm miserably, watching Rookery whistle as he climbed into the truck, turning the key in the ignition, leaping when it started up. The truck began to roll down the driveway, Rookery pulling out quickly, the engine roaring as he raced down the street. Tony stared at the vehicle until it rounded the corner, then he turned his attention back to the sonar screen, its bright green light stinging Tony’s eyes.

He stared at the screen with complete disdain until he couldn’t take it anymore, tearing himself away from it, looking out the window.

Tony thought back to the boy he had had his first kiss with. He hadn’t known his name, and the mystery boy hadn’t even known his. And yet, it had been that easy. Tony hadn’t seen him again. He had looked for the boy for weeks, watching for hours to see if he walked down the same sidewalk again, but he hadn’t come.

Tony figured Rookery had really just scared the teen off, but he had forgotten about the brunette a while ago, never finding himself thinking about that boy until now. He wanted there to be someone out there for him, somewhere. Tony didn’t care how long it took, but he wanted to find a boy who was right for him, someone to tell him it was alright. To hold him in their arms and never let go. Someone who could love Tony as himself, Rookery, vampire hunter and all. Some dream, right?

Suddenly, Tony was taken from his thoughts with a start to hear a loud pinging on the device. A green dot had shown up on the device. Tony’s heart thudded in his chest. It was so close to the house. The blond threw down the scanner, bending towards the window to see if he could get a glimpse of another vampire, one that wouldn’t be killed.

He watched for a few minutes, seeing the pinging dot coming around the house. Tony was just about to give up when he was startled by a flash, a moving blur soaring across the sky. His heart tuned to the ping, and he gasped as he saw the vampire in a better light. 

He had a sleek leather jacket, small horns attached to the collar, a deep red cape hanging from his shoulders, billowing in the cold night air. His spiky black hair was slicked back, yet still in havoc around his head, sticking out in many directions, each strand unsure of where it belonged. His pale gray-purple skin wrapped around his chiseled cheekbones and jawline, looking like every glide was cutting through the icy wind. Even from the distance, Tony could see his sparkling maroon eyes, glinting against the stars. God, he was absolutely beautiful, breathtaking even.

He suddenly stopped flying, hovering in the air, looking around, surveying the landscape. The blond could have sworn, for just a second, that the vampire looked at him. _He must have looked at him! _Tony’s mouth popped open, his heart skipping a beat. His stomach fluttering dangerously. He must be dreaming. He must be asleep.

And just like that, the vampire was gone. Tony scrambled for the sonar, watching the mysterious being’s dot fade off screen as quickly as it had come. _Another one to come and go_, Tony sighed.

Tony heard a loud crackling on the radio and, tossing the InfraDead aside, he picked it up.

“Are you there, boy?” a voice like nails on a chalkboard screamed at him. “I know you’re there. You need to answer me, I need updates!”

“Umm… no, n-no, there hasn’t been anything on the radar. Not tonight,” Tony looked at the screen once more, wishing he could see that gorgeous vampire just once more.

“Well that’s such a bummer,” the voice screeched in the small room. “I guess they aren’t _biting _tonight,” Rookery cackled loudly to himself, and Tony gave a short, forced chuckle.

“You’ll get ‘em next time, Rookery.”

Setting down the radio when the line went silent, he shut his eyes and rubbed them furiously. Tony could just sleep a little bit until Rookery called again for updates. He would surely wake up. When Rookery returned that night, Tony was asleep once more. Scoffing at Tony, Rookery took back his devices, closing the door loudly, he smirked to himself when he heard the boy wake with a start.

Tony dreamed so vividly that night, going through every memory of the vampire he had seen, imagining him in Tony’s arms, smiling up at him, keeping him safe from the stranger that slept in his cold, empty house. He imagined spending all his nights curled up with him, both oblivious to the world around them. He couldn’t imagine the vampire sucking his blood. Tony never really did understand, because he had never heard of the vampires Rookery killed doing any harm, yet they were somehow one of the most dangerous threats to Rookery.


	2. Chapter 2

When Tony was sixteen, he was kicked out of high school. It wasn’t because he had done anything wrong. It was all because of Rookery. 

Rookery had wanted Tony to come vampire hunting with him again, and Tony had said he couldn’t this time, he absolutely couldn’t, because he was studying for his final exams. So when Rookery refused to let him study, the blond started to tear up. He babbled about how much he had to study and if he didn’t pass the test, he wouldn’t be able to go to the next grade. Tears had begun to fall down his cheeks, over his freckles, onto his notebooks. This had scared Rookery. He didn’t know what to do to make him stop crying, and so he left, driving his truck noisily down the block.

Tony hadn’t seen him in the morning; the man’s bedroom door was wide open. He just assumed that Rookery was still out hunting. But when he got to school, he understood why. Walking through the entrance to the building, he stopped dead in his tracks, staring on in horror. Rookery was on the floor, beating the lights out of the principal. His fists collided with the man’s face, sounding in dull thuds. Tony broke into a run, shoving students out of his way to get to his guardian.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Tony screamed at Rookery, trying to pull him away from the unconscious man on the floor, his head sagging to the side, eyes rolling up.

“I’m knocking some sense into him is what I’m doing,” Rookery growled, lunging at the principal once more, but was yanked away by two teachers, who he tried to shake off, but they each kept a firm grip on the crazy man. “That’ll teach him to give my boy finals when he should be hunting.”

“Please come with us sir,” the teachers jerked him forward, guiding him to the office. “You too, Tony, we need to talk.”

Tony’s heartbeat rose so sharply along with the sinking feeling of his gut. He trudged to the office, already accepting his fate.

“Please come in,” the Vice Principal was running through the office to her own room, opening the door. She caught her breath before beckoning the two inside. The teachers finally let Rookery go when the man was seated calmly in a chair, breathing hard. The door slammed shut, and the woman turned away to stare out the small window behind her desk. She stared at it for a long while, and then she suddenly turned to face Rookery.

“What,_ in God’s name, _did you think you were _proving here today?” _she spat, her sharp eyebrows arching up in frustration.

“I was trying to have a lovely little chat with your principal here about the finals you are putting this boy through. They are completely unnecessary, and he shouldn’t have to be missing so much work to study for these stupid things. It’s not fair to me.”

The Vice Principal looked at Rookery in disbelief, glancing at Tony, who looked down in embarrassment. She just ogled at the crazy, crazy man sitting in the chair next to a perfectly fine looking teenager. “This isn’t for you to decide, sir. You didn’t need to _beat up _the principal to get your way like some- some kind of schoolyard bully! He’s going to have to go to the hospital because of what you did!” she sat down, sighing, rubbing her temples. Then she put her hands down in her lap, smoothing out her pants. She looked up with a new, grave expression. “Tony, is everything okay at home?”

Tony looked at her in shock. _No! No It’s not! Please get this strange man away from me and take me back to my real home with my real parents and real family! It’s not too late! Save me! _Tony just kept on looking. When the principal tilted her head in confusion, he knew he had to say something. “Everything is fine Mrs. Becker.”

He didn’t know why he said it. He wanted to get out of that hell hole as soon as possible, but something about leaving Rookery sounded a bit more dangerous than actually staying. Glancing to the side, he saw Rookery’s mouth open, along with the Vice Principal’s.

“W-well then, I see… “she cleared her throat loudly. “Well, I believe we will be pressing charges, and you, Tony, will be welcome to take your finals today if you still wish to do so. Tony nodded his head. He wanted to get away from Rookery for as long as possible and going to school was the way to do it. “But another option would be to remove your child from this establishment, and we will not be doing anything. It’s really up to you, Tony.”

“No.”

“I beg your pardon?” Mrs. Becker looked in surprise at Rookery once more.

“I’ll be making the decisions for him. I am his parental guardian, and I will make those choices for him, whether you or the boy like it or not. So,” Rookery said, standing up from his chair so fast that the woman gasped. “Tony will not be attending this pathetic school any longer, he may take his finals today, I couldn’t care less what he does, but after today, he will no longer go here. Now I’ll be off then.”

“You’d really take your son out of school just so you wouldn’t get in trouble?” she said, dumbfounded.

“Of course. He’s not even my son anyway. Good day,” he turned on his heel, opening and slamming the office door as he left, tearing out of the building.

The woman stared at the door where Rookery had just been standing mere seconds ago with a blank expression on her face. Tony sniffed indifferently and stood up to head to class. “Tony,” she said softly, snapping back to the situation at hand. “You are such a gifted child, and so hardworking. You could pursue anything you wanted to do and not have to follow in his footsteps. Are you really going to let him do this?”

“Yeah, Mrs. Becker. He’s my parental figure. He does what’s best for me. Everything’s going to be okay,” he recited almost robotically the lie he told himself every day to feel better, to feel like everything was right and okay. Even if it wasn’t all okay. “Now you’ll have to excuse me, I have some finals to take.”

Tony said short goodbyes to all his friends at school, and stumbled home miserably to a grinning Rookery, waiting at the door for him. He forced sour beer down Tony’s throat that night as a celebration for becoming a full time vampire hunter. Coming home at well past dawn from a night of unproductive hunting, Tony stayed up well after Rookery went to sleep, lying awake in his bed. He went through all that he had done wrong, tears trying to force themselves up, but Tony was so used to disappointment and heartache that he just lied there until he eventually drifted off into a troubled sleep, but filled with dreams of the vampire once more. 

Two weeks later, Tony got his results in the mail, along with a note from Mrs. Becker. It read: _You could have done so much good. Don’t you forget that. _He had gotten above a 95% on every single test he took. He kept the results hidden at the bottom of his desk drawer, so he didn’t have to look at them and see just how much of a mistake he had made, saying everything was alright.


	3. Chapter 3

Now, Tony was seventeen. He went out hunting with Rookery every night, and he hated it so much. He understood why Manny had left all those years ago. One thing he didn’t understand was why Manny hadn’t left sooner. Tony had thought of leaving so often, so if Rookery ever suspected that the teenager was having doubts, he would tell Tony if he ever left, he would hunt him down to the ends of the earth. Just like a vampire. That scared Tony, because he knew Rookery would do it. He had raised the boy from three years old, so he practically owned him, and wanted to get as much use out of him as he could.

Tony still stayed up some mornings at his window with the InfraDead, looking for the beautiful vampire, hoping he could see it again. Just one more time. One more time was all that Tony wanted. He was just scared that he’d be seeing the vampire again when he and Rookery were out vampire hunting.

He had never gotten used to watching vampires die. When Rookery went to finish off a vampire they had captured, Tony always stayed behind, refusing to leave the truck or look at the creature tremble as the last breath left its body. He never could look at it because of the guilt. No one should ever have been killed for what they were, and Tony wanted to run away screaming each time he heard the wailing of the vampires. 

Then one night Rookery went out alone. Tony was so happy to get a little rest during the night, and he was deeply asleep, dreaming about being free, going wherever he wanted. He had driven so far away from Rookery that he wouldn’t be able to be found, with a certain vampire holding his hand along the way. He could almost feel the wind blowing through his hair, the sun capturing his freckles, smiling over at the immortal in the passenger seat. He was suddenly shaken awake by Rookery, opening his eyes to look into hysterical inky black pools. 

“I’ve caught one tonight Tony, and I want you to tag along with me,” he rubbed his hand maniacally, grinning from ear to ear at Tony.

“You want to go now?” Tony rubbed his eyes blearily. The blond glanced over at the digital clock on his nightstand. The red light blinked 3:00 am. He groaned inwardly.

Rookery held Tony by his shoulder. Tony winced at the near gentle touch. “Yes, I want the vampire to be alive when you kill it.”

The teenager’s head snapped up, all the breath leaving his lungs. He had never killed anything in his life, and he would not do it now. Especially doing a thing he was so against. “M-me… kill… it? By myself?” Rookery let out a dangerous, sharp bark of a laugh. 

“Of _course_ by yourself!” the man bellowed, tightening his grip tremendously on Tony’s shoulder. “Why, you haven’t killed one single vampire since you started hunting with me, and it’s completely out of the question to skimp out if you’ll be doing this for the rest of your life… which you will. I’ll be making quite sure of that.”

Rookery’s eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second before he stood up, patting Tony’s head as he let go of the boy’s shoulder. He strutted out of the room, thundering down the stairs with a bang on each step. 

Tony sat up, not getting out of bed. He pulled his knees up to his chest, rocking, trying to reassure himself that it was going to be alright. _Everything’s going to be okay. _He eventually slid out of bed when Rookery honked the horn of his truck, impatiently calling his name from the driveway. When he had pulled on a pair of jeans and a stiff maroon sweatshirt, the blond teenager couldn’t help but peek through the window one more time, looking for that vampire he had seen so long ago. He sighed when he looked out into the empty sky, turning quickly to rush down the stairs, hopping into his shoes. He climbed into the truck, breathing shallowly and looking to the road ahead as Rookery sent them speeding off into the night.

Rookery tossed the InfraDead into his hands, and when it started up, it immediately began pinging, a red dot of a vampire appearing to be deep in the forest ahead of them. Tony’s stomach dropped. They were already so close to the vampire, and Tony had no idea how to get out of this one. He wasn’t ready. The old man turned on the radio, cranking up the volume as he sang along to the song, banging his palms on the steering wheel. Rookery veered off the road, onto a path he had made before that led straight to the vampire he caught.

Speeding down the mountainside, the truck bounced and jolted down the steep decline. Tony grabbed onto anything in his vicinity that was somehow grounding, eventually settling for the seat he sat upon. Rookery sang louder still, jamming his foot on the gas farther after each rock they dangerously bounced off of.

When the truck finally hit the ground, it kept rolling, nearly straight into a tree before Rookery turned the steering wheel sharply to the right. Tony was so scared. His heart pounded in his chest and his breath quickened. _He couldn’t do this. _

The truck bounced along Rookery’s premade trail, eventually crawling to a stop, stuttering as he turned the ignition off. Climbing out, Tony could see a figure not too far in the distance squirming against a tree. Rookery placed a hand on Tony’s chest, signaling him to stop.

“Wait right here. I’m just going to rough him up a bit before you have your fun,” he chuckled, humming to himself as he grabbed an axe from the back of the truck. He dangled it carelessly from his hand, swinging it as he continued to hum, approaching the vampire. Tony followed Rookery nevertheless, keeping his hands in his pockets and his eyes stuck to the ground.

He heard rough smacks coming from the tree where the vampire was tied up, painful groans emanating from it. As the blond teenager approached the small clearing, he lifted his head to get a closer look at the vampire. His heart dropped when he saw it and he stopped dead in his tracks. His breath caught tightly in his throat. 

It was _him_. _The _vampire. The one that had intruded his dreams since the day he saw him. And Tony had to kill him.

He was even more breathtaking up close, his jawline jutting out in a fine, harsh angle, thick black eyebrows curving in a subtle arch. The color surrounding his glinting maroon eyes made it appear as if he was wearing the most vivid dark indigo eyeshadow splashed across his lids. His purple-gray skin shone in the moonlight, reflecting all the light that was left in the blond’s bleak world. His lips were pressed together in a tight scowl, and he clenched his teeth as the man turned towards him again, showing off long sharp fangs when Rookery began to approach him. His hands were bound in cuffs locked around a tree branch. He was bound tightly in a thick rope that contained him when he flinched as Rookery hit him, this time with the blunt part of the axe. Tony gasped as the man swung once more, hitting the vampire again, leaving a spot of blood on his forehead, a red stream dripping down his face. 

The vampire spit out blood, letting it run down his chin. Dropping the axe on the ground, Rookery triumphantly grabbed a handful of the vampire’s hair, jerking its head up so it would look into his crazy eyes. The blond clutched himself, looking away.

“You think you’re so tough, aye boy?” he cackled in his face. “You’re nothing but a creature of the night, you’re a _monster. _You disgust me and my partner. And that pitiful boy over there is going to have his little fun with _you _next_. _I hope you say your prayers now, vampire, because you aren’t going to live past tonight. Oh! Who am I kidding? You aren’t even alive to begin with!”

It was all too much. This was all so very wrong, and Tony couldn’t take it any longer. He couldn’t listen to or watch such an atrocious thing happen to anything in the world, especially not a vampire, a creature the teenager had admired all these long years. Especially not to the vampire of his dreams.

“Stop!” both the vampire and the hunter looked up at Tony, the vampire giving a confused and dazed expression, and Rookery’s of complete and utter hatred. Tony’s vision swirled as he felt a wave of panic engulf him. He came to when Rookery slapped him in the face, sending him to the ground, a red mark burning on his cheek.

Tony heard the grass crunching underneath Rookery’s feet as he approached him. A cold, strong grip enclosed around Tony’s arm, yanking him up. 

“Look who’s acquired feelings now! Little Tony Thompson has finally grown a pair of angel wings, wanting to save this lowly thing from what it _deserves_. Come along, you brute,” his foul garlic musk stung Tony’s eyes. “You’ve got to do your part in this, you know. You’re going to kill this varmint, and you will like it, there’s no getting out of it this time.”

“You’re lucky I don’t treat you like that vampire brat over there,” Rookery pointed an accusing finger at the vampire, who was snapping in and out of consciousness, his head lolling to the side, eyelashes fluttering rapidly. “You… you’d be dead without me, stuck in a boring old home with people who don’t care about what you are, you’d be so _bored_ you would die. Here, here you are someone, you are someone that works for me.”

“S-so I’m nothing without you? With- without _you _I wouldn’t be going to high school, getting a scholarship, not killing things or god knows what? I wouldn’t be having a good childhood, or be happy? Ever? Would I just be miserable because you weren’t _there _to ‘guide me?’” Tony winced as he tried to sit up.

“YOU ARE A GENIUS!” Rookery screamed, getting the vampire’s attention, who looked up in shock to stare at Tony. The blond teenager could feel his face heat up with both pairs of eyes burning holes into him. But suddenly Tony was being pulled up again, snapping to his feet, nearly doubling over from the sheer force of the strange man’s pull. “Now that vampire will die by your hand tonight whether I have to guide you through the motions or not.”

“R-Rookery… I can’t _kill _something, I can’t kill anything, and you know that. I’m not fit to be a vampire hunter.”

He grabbed a fistful of Tony’s deep red sweatshirt, wrenching the blond towards him another time. “Yes, I know that. You have always been weak, ever since you were a child. I tried to fix that but you were too much of a hassle. I let Manny take care of you because I thought Manny could help, but he turned out to be broken just as you are, too soft for anyone to ever want you. You will always be a scrappy little boy who can’t deal with death the way a true man like me could ever possible do it,” Rookery let go, plastering a wide smile on his face.

“Now, are you ready to kill your first vampire?”

Tony gulped, glancing towards the gorgeous vampire, who only stared back. “I- I- y-yeah… I’m ready to… to… kill… him…” 

“Good, my boy!” the man clapped Tony on the back, causing him to flinch at the contact. “Now the fun can really begin!”

He pulled out a large wooden stake from behind his back, presenting it proudly to Tony, like a cat who had just killed a mouse, showing the dead thing to its owner. With a shaking hand, the teenager grasped the weapon, watching Rookery’s tobacco stained teeth glisten in the moonlight. He clutched it so tightly that his knuckles turned white, the groves of the wood digging deep into his skin. With the older vampire hunter’s hand on his shoulder, Tony walked up to the vampire, who was calmly waiting for the two to approach.

Tony winced when the being looked up at him, glaring daggers into the blond teenager’s heart. He felt sick to his stomach, shuffling towards the vampire with Rookery’s hand still glued to his shoulder. He swallowed, raising the stake up to the immortal.

“That’s it…” the man praised. Tony hated the fact that killing a vampire was the only way he would ever truly make Rookery happy. Nothing else had done it. 

The stake trembled in Tony’s hand, _he couldn’t possibly do this, but he had to. _Rookery pushed the teenager forward a bit, egging him on. He raised the stake up to the vampire, ready to bring it down, when he swore he could see a little part of the glaring vampire’s expression full of pain and fear for what he was about to do. Suddenly, Tony had an idea. It was a small one, and not very smart, but it was an idea.

“What are you _doing, _you imbecile?” Rookery yelled when the blond teenager stopped and turned around to face him.

“You know what I’m doing,” Tony replied calmly, taking the stake in his hand and hitting Rookery full in the face with it, with all the force he had. The blow sent him tumbling to the ground backwards, hitting the earth with a thud. He rolled to his side, holding his face in his hands.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” Rookery cried, looking up into Tony’s now confident eyes.

“I’m tired of everything you have done,” he nearly whispered, picking up the axe that was resting on the tree. “I’m tired of you_ ‘being there’ for me, _when you’re _clearly _not. I think Manny was probably the one who ever cared the most about me. You never _cared. _You just wanted a slave to do your bidding, someone who was tied to you for life.” 

The teenager scoffed when he was met with radio silence from the ancient man in front of him. “Well, I don’t want to have anything to do with you anymore. I’m sick of pretending I actually care. You were never even close to a father to me.”

And with that, Tony lifted the axe, bringing the blunt side onto Rookery’s head. He collapsed to the ground, lying unconscious. Even knocked out, Tony hated him. He hated every aspect of him. God, he wished Rookery was still awake so he could punch him again.

Dropping the axe, he leaned over Rookery, checking his pulse. The man was breathing shallowly. Tony blew out a sigh of relief; he didn’t want what he had had nightmares about doing to come true. Grabbing a ring of keys looped around Rookery’s belt, the blond rushed over to the vampire. While Rookery was still knocked out, he wouldn’t do any damage to them.

Tony tried several keys to unlock the handcuffs, growing more frustrated with each one that didn’t fit. He tried to ignore the fact that he was blushing deeper with every brush of his hands on the other boy’s. The vampire grunted each time there was no click as well, growing uncomfortable with his arms suspended like that. The cuffs finally opened with a sharp clink, falling open to the ground. The immortal dropped his arms with a sigh of relief, rubbing his sore wrists while Tony got to work untying the thick rope. The knot was so complex, and rookery would be waking up soon anyway, so Tony picked up the axe again, swinging it at the tree. It stuck into the thick wood, cutting the ties of the rope in the process.

As soon as the rope fell to the earth, the vampire leapt up and was gone, flying into the night. Tony watched him go, dumbfounded. He hadn’t even been able to talk to him, not that there was much to say anyways. He had wished to see the vampire again, but not like this… not like what just happened.

The blond teenager grabbed as much rope as he could find to bind Rookery up. Finding a long line of cable, he dragged Rookery to the tree where the being had just sat a minute or so ago. Deciding against leaving Rookery out to die, he wrapped the cable around the vampire hunter. 

With all the repressed anger that he was still holding inside, Tony tightly bound Rookery, hearing him groan in discomfort. He pulled Rookery to the truck, tying him onto the back where the man had thrown many captured vampires onto. He would probably be unconscious for another few minutes, so Tony sat on the ground, taking in everything that had just happened. He shut his eyes for a few minutes. He put his head in his hands, taking a few deep breaths before standing up. He climbed into the truck, starting the engine.

With the adrenaline wearing off, Tony realized just how exhausted he really was. Sleeping in nearly all day due to the late nights didn’t help the fact that he wasn’t used to it, even if it had already been a year of this messed up routine. He laid his head on the steering wheel, taking more deep breaths. He didn’t know what he was going to do now. He obviously had to get far, far away from Rookery, but he didn’t know how.

Looking up, Tony felt a light tap on his shoulder, sending him flying into the truck door. He yelped when a sharp pain rose in his arm, clutching it. Glancing harshly over, he blew out a sigh of relief even though his heart tightened when he saw the vampire sitting in the passenger seat. He had really thought it was Rookery who had miraculously appeared in the seat next to him.

Still panting heavily, Tony looked at the vampire in shock. The being cleared his throat and looked at the floor. Tony relaxed, placing his hands in his lap when he realized he wasn’t going to bite him.

The vampire cleared his throat again. “Umm… I… uh…” he rubbed the back of his neck, struggling with his words. “You- you saved my life.” 

“I- yeah, I guess so,” the blond teenager responded awkwardly. 

“Why… why would you do that for me?”

Tony inhaled sharply at the question. “I… I… ‘cuz no one… no one deserves to die, I guess. Not even a vampire, even if you’re not technically alive,” Tony giggled mostly at himself. “You didn’t do anything to me, and you shouldn’t have been punished for just being who you are.”

Tony could have sworn he saw a dash of color fly across the immortal’s cheeks, but it was probably only the light. “… I suppose so… hey- what’s yo-”

“Brother? Where are you?” a young girl’s voice called from the darkness. The vampire shot Tony a pained glance and flashed an apologetic smile. Tony’s heart began to beat wildly in his chest. _No. This can’t be it already. Don’t leave again._

“I… suppose I’ve got to dash. I’ll probably see you around,” and with that, he was opening the door to the truck, flying out of view, gone.

Tony leaned his head back in the seat, rubbing his eyes. His head was pounding, and he needed to go home and sleep. But he had to get rid of Rookery first. The teenager glanced in the rearview mirror to see Rookery still knocked out. Letting out a long sigh, he turned the truck around, speeding out of the forest, down the narrow road. He kept glancing at the mirror to check on Rookery, and also to check for the vampire.

Seeing a lone bus stop just on the outskirts of town, Tony pulled over. He got out, unstrapping Rookery from the truck. He dragged the unconscious man onto the road, struggling to move his body. The teenager was eventually able to prop him up against the bench. Tony wasn’t worried that Rookery would make it back to him. That disgusting man was so narcissistic that he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from informing the people that came across him of what had transpired not even an hour ago, vampire and all. People would definitely think he was crazy. After all, Tony had believed that he himself was going crazy when Manny had shown one to him when he was little, pointing one out as it soared through the night sky.

Making sure Rookery was sitting up enough so that he wouldn’t fall into the road, Tony climbed back into the truck. The teenager turned the key in the ignition, jumping at the low rumble of the vehicle. It bounced down the road as he drove back to the house.

Turning slowly into the driveway, Tony hopped out of the truck, running to the door. He didn’t know what he was going to do. His hands shook as he tried to insert the key into the lock. _What was he going to do? _He needed to move out of the tiny blue house, so Rookery wouldn’t find him. 

The blond raced up the stairs to Rookery’s room. He knew Rookery had a safe in there somewhere. It _had _to be in there. He tore apart the garlic stenched room, pulling his sweatshirt over his nose before he gagged. He crouched down, pushing aside clothes, and boxes until he uncovered a large black box. It was locked, a keypad glowing insistently at him. Tony groaned to himself, leaning back onto the floor. He raked a hand through his hair, looking up at the ceiling in exhaustion. He suddenly thought of something. The blond boy leapt up, thundering down the stairs again. He opened the door to the dim garage that Rookery had never let him inside of. 

He gasped at the array of UV lights and stakes, knives and drills. Each had a particularly ominous sheen to it, hanging on the hooks threateningly. Tony reached for a sleek silver pickaxe, snatching it off the nail it was suspended from. He ran back up to the safe, waiting patiently in the vampire hunter’s bedroom. 

He approached the coal black safe as if it were waiting for him, as if it were listening for any sudden movement, or it would jump up and disappear. Tony silently brought the axe behind him, swinging it with little noise at the box. With a sharp pang a deep dent appeared in the cool metal. The teenager cursed under his breath, taking another swing. The pickaxe hit the safe once more, and this time the door popped open with the newly destroyed lock. Tony grinned to himself, bending down to peer inside the inky emptiness.

He squinted, trying to see what was held in it. Then Tony took in a sharp breath, seeing wads of cash stacked on top of one another. It was piled up inside the safe, stacks and stacks of Euros, tens of hundreds of thousands of them neatly tucked away for all of those god-awful years. 

The money obviously hadn’t been made honestly- Rookery must have robbed a bank or something. Maybe with Manny forced to tag along, with Tony sleeping soundly in his bed, innocent and unsuspecting of what they were doing. Unsuspecting of what was to come.

The blond boy let a tear slip by, realizing how bad he had messed up. He thought he had done the right thing, but Rookery was his only guardian, and he had to run away from him. Tony couldn’t go _anywhere. _He had _nothing. No one. _He hated himself now for what he had done. He pulled himself together, getting up and grabbing as much money as he could carry, holding most of it in his sweatshirt.

He rushed to his room, dumping the stacks on the bed, going back for the rest, and returning with more money than he could fathom. Tony didn’t even want to count it, it disgusted him so much. He pried open a floorboard under his bed that he used to store hidden things from Rookery. Removing his stuffed cow and teddy bear, he shoved every last euro he had in the compartment. Tony stood up, collapsing onto his bed, already falling asleep. He would deal with everything in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has left kudos on this so far! I'm still writing this fic and it looks like it's going to be pretty long... so buckle up!

The first thing Tony did was apply for a job. With all of Rookery’s money Tony probably wouldn’t need to work for a long time, but he had missed out on so many things and wanted to do something honest and good for once. 

He had fished through some of the files he found lying in the very back of Rookery’s safe, and he was able to go set up an interview at a local grocery store with a damaged birth certificate and a few other loose papers. 

He had been scared about it, sweating nervously while he waited for the manager to sit at the small table with him. He was worried they would ask about his parents or his home life, but they didn't, and the woman had been so nice to him. She didn’t mention that the computer said that he had dropped out of high school, and that he was currently living in a single parent home. He felt safe there, like he could trust any of the employees, and had hit it off well with the manager. 

Tony obviously got the job right away, signing up for late shifts. He didn’t want to be home if Rookery came back. 

The teenager also enrolled in school again. He had come in early in the morning and asked to speak to Mrs. Becker. She had run out of her office, wrapping him in a tight hug. The vice principal had dabbed at her eyes, smiling, when Tony had sat down, asking to come back to school. She had leapt up and hugged him again, saying he could even skip a grade straight to senior year with his classmates if he passed an exam.

Tony had also taken it that same day, and passed with flying colors after touching up on a few subjects with some teachers over lunch. For once, he didn’t think about Rookery, or his parents, or vampires. He was just so happy to be going back to a somewhat normal life.

The next week, the blond had been running around trying to finish his homework, college applications, and working long shifts at the grocery store. He was sleep deprived and overworked, but he was getting used to it; he was on his way to having what he had always yearned for. When Tony had gotten home one night, he heard a knock on the door. He had seen the flashing blue and red lights out the window, and with a trembling hand, had opened it slowly to look straight into the eyes of a policeman. He had jumped, but opened the door all the way, beckoning him inside.

“Oh no, son. I’m just here to check up on you. Seems your old man got into a bit of an episode over by the bus stop. Just making sure you’re home and alright,” he had said in a gruff, monotone voice.

“Umm… thanks, sir…” Tony had started, upset and quaking with the fear that Rookery would be back for good again. “B-but where is… he? Is h-he… is he here?”

The officer had chuckled heartily, tilting his head back, up towards the darkened sky. “That’s- that’s a good one, no. He’s a looney if you ask me, yapping about vampires and axes and full moons. I mean, you _must _know that he’s crazy, right?” he had suddenly stopped laughing, looking at Tony with slight concern.

“Oh, um, yeah,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Always kinda figured. So… where did you say you found him?” he asked, trying to sound as innocent as he could. “If that’s not prying too much.”

The policeman clapped a hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright, kid, no harm in wanting to know what happened to your family,” he blew out a breath. “A bit odd, though. A local woman called it in, sounded real afraid, saying he was screaming at her, so we came as quick as we could. We found him tied up, propped up against the bench. Tied pretty tightly, mind you. Took a long while to cut him out of that wire. Then he punched an officer who was only trying to help, yelling about you and some vampire and his ‘precious sonar’ before he tried to drive off in a cop car.”

Tony resisted the urge to laugh out loud. He hadn’t expected Rookery to prove that he was insane so flawlessly and quickly. With a smothered grin he cleared his throat, asking, “So where is he now, then?” 

“Oh… we had him in a cell the first night, and we figured out he had a bunch of felonies he never did any time for. He was up screaming at all hours no matter who threatened him, so we decided he needed to be moved to a mental hospital. He won’t be going to prison, but he’ll be in that place for a long time. That guy’s a looney, and he needs some serious psychiatric help, if I’ve ever seen it. Hey… are you gonna be okay here by yourself?”

Tony blinked, unsure of what to say. He was only seventeen years old; he wasn’t even an adult yet. He couldn’t do anything because he was so young. Then he remembered how he had basically grown up on his own and had taken care of himself for as long as he could remember. Without Rookery or anyone else’s help. He didn’t need anyone, because he had never had anybody to begin with. So why need someone now?

“Thanks officer for your concern, but with a guy that out of it, I’ve been doing pretty okay on my own.”

“Okay…” the policeman said sceptically, but tipped his hat towards the teenager. “You can stay here for as long as you like, just make sure to keep paying when the bills come around, and don’t do anything stupid,” he winked and placed his hat back ontop of his head, turning on his heel and walking away. He got into his car and drove off quietly, waving to the blond.

Tony sighed when the officer was out of view, turning down the street. He closed and locked the door quickly, turning around. Breathing slowly, he rested his back against the door, sliding down it until he was sitting against the cold wood. Rookery was finally out of his life, and Tony could move on easily with the money, finishing up high school, and working a job. It was going to be so hard to pull off, but Tony was willing to fight on, to go on with his life like a normal human being.

Tony blinked for a moment when an idea popped into his head. What if he just left? He could definitely do that; after he finished high school, of course. He could get so far away from this miserable town, and he wouldn’t even have to look back. But there was something he couldn’t quite grasp that was tying him down, rooting him there. He sighed, deciding it was best to just think it over in the morning.

Getting home from work long past midnight on Saturday, Tony changed out of his uniform and fell on top of his bed. He had homework to do, but he’d finish it when he woke up. 

Then he heard a soft tap on the window. The teenager bolted up, looking to the figure occupying the window. He gasped, amazed that the vampire had found him. He had come back. No one ever came back to Tony.

The teenager just looked at the gorgeous vampire, staring, until it waved awkwardly, knocking again. Tony whirred to life, jumping off the bed and scampering over sleepily to the window, unlocking it with a loud click. He pushed it open, the large pane of glass swinging out. Then Tony beckoned him inside after he stayed floating there, unsure of what to do. The vampire glided in, landing softly on the prussian carpet. Tony stood back, taking in the boy, gazing. He brought himself back when he realized the vampire had been gazing the same way. 

“Umm… hey,” Tony murmured.

“Hello,” the vampire wrung his hands, searching for words. “Umm… you- I…” the dark haired boy sighed, dropping his hands to his sides, deciding to start over. “I… I realized I never said thank you for what happened the other night. You- you saved my life, and I just flew away like that. I probably should not have left. I was in shock and you were there to help, but I-I didn’t say anything. I’m- I’m sorry.” 

Tony was stunned into silence. The _vampire _was apologizing to _him. _He had even been about to kill him! _He should be the one saying sorry, not the vampire_. 

“I- well I- it was… nothing really,” Tony tried to sound cool to the other boy, but only came off as frightened and simply, completely, _totally _uncool. 

The vampire grinned. He placed a hand on his hip, thrusting himself forward a bit. “That man who was being awful to you, who you knocked out that night, was he your father?” 

“Pfft!” Tony covered his mouth, stifling his laugh. “Did- did he look like _he _was _my _dad?” he smiled at the vampire, who grinned back.

“I- I suppose not,” he chuckled. “Is that man still here? He did look quite ancient when I saw him.”

Tony laughed again, dipping his head before looking back up at him. “He’s alive, if that’s what you mean, but he isn’t going to be back for a long time. He was scary, dude.”

“Dude? What’s that?” he frowned a bit, his brows knitting together. 

Tony breathed out a small chuckle of disbelief. “Dude, dude… like, man, like buddy!”

His brows came closer. “Buddy?”

Tony groaned. “How old _are _you, even?” 

“I’ll be three hundred and eighteen years old next month. That will be my three hundredth year of being a vampire,” he said, annoyed. 

Tony’s eyes blew wide, his mouth hanging open. “That’s so cool! I never thought you guys had been around for that long!”

“Umm… cool? Pardon me… but what does my temperature have to do with it?” Tony let out an exasperated sigh. 

“No, like awesome, like sick!” the vampire quickly reached up, touching his hand to his forehead. He looked back nervously at Tony, smiling with a beyond confused expression.

“I feel fine,” Tony let out a chuckle, looking at the floor once more. 

“You’ve got s lot to learn, vampire.”

He looked at Tony, smiling, then his face fell, his eyebrows knitting again. “I never asked you what your name was.”

“Tony… Thompson. Yeah. Tony Thompson,” he had been trying to decide what his last name was, since he had been told by Rookery so many years ago that his last name would be his guardian’s name, so he was so used to being called a name he hated with all his heart; Tony Rookery. The thought of it even made him shudder. God, he hated belonging to Rookery so much. He hated that he had known him since the beginning, and had to respect him like a father. The vampire hunter was never a father to him. So Tony chose his original last name. 

The blond thrust his hand forward, grinning at the vampire, beckoning him to shake it. 

First he looked unsure, but smiling at Tony, he took his hand. A blush crept up the blond’s neck, and he tried to ignore the feeling in his chest as he shook the immortal’s hand. “My name’s Rudolph. Rudolph Sackville-Bagg. So are you eighteen too?”

“Uhm, almost,” Tony peered into those beautiful maroon eyes, letting their touch linger before he dropped his hand to his side. “Did- did you become a vampire when you were eighteen then?” 

Rudolph chuckled softly, smiling. “Yes Tony,” his expression darkened for a split second, until he brightened up again, sparks appearing in his eyes. He stretched out his hand once more to Tony. “Would you care to come flying with me?”

The blond inhaled sharply, trying not to laugh out loud. “Look at me,” he said, stepping back. He couldn’t help but blush a little when he saw the vampire’s eyes sweep over him. He quickly swatted the vampire’s arm, who gave an indignant shout, rubbing his arm, pouting. “Not like that!” Tony sighed, running his fingers through his golden blond hair. 

“My point is that I’m a mortal. I can’t fly. Even if I tried, I’d probably fall straight out of that window,” Tony was thrown off by Rudolph’s giggling. “What?”

“Nothing… just… take my hand, I can help make you fly,” the vampire put out his hand once more, waiting for Tony to take it. When he hesitated, the immortal smirked. “It’s okay, if you don’t like it, I will put you down right away. Okay?”

“Okay,” Tony placed his hand gingerly onto Rudolph’s, and he gasped when his feet slowly began to lift off the ground.

“That’s it,” Rudolph whispered smoothly, grinning from ear to ear at the blond teenager.

“Wow,” was all Tony could say. His stomach lifted with thousands of butterflies clustering dangerously, making his heart feel light. He grasped Rudolph’s hand tightly when he started to spin around the room, pulling himself closer to the vampire. “I feel dizzy, Rudolph, how do I stop feeling dizzy,” his throat tightened as he began to feel nauseous. 

“Easy, human. You have _got _to stop spinning!” he brought Tony back to the floor, where he toppled into Rudolph, his hands flying to the teenager’s chest. The dark haired boy caught him, holding Tony in his arms, gazing at the blond. He looked up quickly, his cheeks flaming before he launched himself off the vampire, standing awkwardly before him.

“Sorry…” he began, but the vampire only smiled again.

“Come on, you’ve gotten this far already. You’re doing very well. Here,” he held out his hand again, and Tony didn’t hesitate to clasp their hands together firmly as they lifted off the floor for the second time. He gasped as they floated higher, nearly to the ceiling, and when Tony looked down, he gasped again, pulling closer to Rudolph.

“It’s okay, mortal. I won’t drop you,” he murmured in Tony’s ear. Chills went down his spine as they floated towards the window. Rudolph pushed the glass open, flying out into the night, with Tony behind him, clinging on.

The pair suddenly stopped when Tony grabbed hold onto the curtains, panicking. He didn’t know if the vampire was going to let go. He knew that Rudolph had said he wouldn’t, but Tony knew he couldn’t trust anyone anymore, and he wasn’t certain if he could start trusting this vampire now. He would probably follow Rudolph to the ends of the earth if he asked, but a tiny part of him wanted to run away screaming. That part that craved to get on with his new vampire-free life ahead of him, sparkling in the distance. 

But when looking into that vampire’s eyes, he wanted to leave that all behind. He wanted to ditch the normality he had nearly achieved, to fly away with the gorgeous immortal, never to look back.

So that small part caused Tony to stop, clutching the silver curtains in a tight, curled fist. He looked helplessly to the vampire floating in front of him, then down at the ground quivering underneath him. 

“What’s wrong Tony?” the vampire asked, squeezing his hand gently.

“I- I don’t… I don’t think I can do this,” he gulped, feeling nauseous all over again. But he felt Rudolph squeeze his hand again softly. The blond looked up into reassuring eyes, telling Tony to trust him, that he _could _do it. 

“It’s okay. I’ve got you. I promise I will never let you fall,” Rudolph gazed comfortingly into his sky blue eyes, “as long as you are with me,” he added quickly with a wink, grinning. Tony couldn’t help but smile back, biting his lip. The vampire’s eyes darted to the teenager’s mouth, but he quickly looked away, turning towards the sky as Tony let go of the curtain.

Shutting his eyes, he could feel himself soaring across the sky, cutting through the air like a bird. He still held onto Rudolph’s hand so tightly that it must have hurt, but when opening his eyes to glance at him, the boy didn’t seem to mind. The bruises Rookery had given the boy were still ever present and the cut on his lip had begun to scab over. God, Tony wished that man hadn’t done anything to harm Rudolph in the first place, he wished that he had met Rudolph some other way. One that didn’t get either of them hurt. He was so sick of hurting all the time, and the vampire could be the one to help him, to give him life again.

They soared high above the trees, the mountains turning into small ant hills below. Graveyards and castles became tiny specks under them, fading away. Tony turned to Rudolph, who was calmly looking down at the ground beneath, and the blond had no idea how he was remaining so peaceful when they could fall a few hundred feet if they stopped. Tony’s heart raced, and he held ever tighter onto the immortal’s hand. He was breathing fast, but he couldn’t show the vampire that he was panicking. Yet the dark haired boy noticed anyway.

Rudolph turned to the boy, looking a bit concerned, then realization spread across his face. “Tony, it’s alright, I’ll bring us down now. Everything’s going to be okay,” the vampire swooped them down gingerly, bringing Tony close to his side so he would not teeter as much. The blond blushed, allowing himself to be set down on a cold, rough sarcophagus. Waiting patiently, he allowed Tony’s breaths to slow down. He watched him, smiling softly at the boy who shook before him.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to do that again. I know it takes some getting used to, but I’ll walk you back if you want, I could even-” 

“No!” Tony cried desperately. He just needed to get accustomed to flying, he didn’t want to stop seeing Rudolph. “I… I think I just need to get used to it. I- I can fly back, I think… I think I just need a moment to catch my breath. I’ll- I’ll be okay… I will!” 

Rudolph gave him an unsteady look, but sat down next to him on the coffin until Tony was ready. They sat in comfortable silence, the blond not wanting to go flying just yet.

“Uhm… so how did you end up finding me again? Must have been hard to look during the daytime, so where did you see me?”

The vampire chuckled deeply. “I… heh… I felt guilty about… just leaving you sitting in your truck like that, so when I got rid of my sister… well, I followed your truck. I just wanted to make sure you got home safely, and I didn’t have the courage to come and talk to you until tonight. I hope I haven’t bothered you too terribly. I only wanted to thank you for what you did for me.”

“I… well… thanks for stopping by. I was wondering if I’d ever see you again,” Tony bit his bottom lip, smiling at how the vampire, the _vampire _had made sure he was okay; he made sure, unlike Rookery, that Tony wasn’t hurt or lost or scared. He wanted Tony to be alright. The blond decided right then and there that he wanted Rudolph to be with him for the rest of his life, even if they were just friends for the time being. He wanted Rudolph to come back every day so he didn’t have to be lonely anymore.

Tony stood, brushing off his jeans. “Okay, let’s do this, dude.”

The vampire got up, holding out both hands this time. Tony looked up into his bright eyes, trusting him more than ever now. He placed his hands in Rudolph’s, feeling his feet lift off the ground. Tony gasped when Rudolph’s hands enclosed tightly around his own, grounding him even though he was rising so far up in the sky. 

“That’s it, you’re doing so well!” he whispered. The vampire brought the blond’s hands to his chest, bringing him along with them. Rudolph was so close, _so close. _Tony could smell the soft earthiness of the immortal, taking in a mixture of faded cologne and something sweet like candy. He looked into the vampire’s eyes once more, nearly kicking himself for blushing again.

Finally getting high enough to start really flying, the two stopped, hovering some fifty feet in the air. “Try not to look at the ground for a bit. It’ll be difficult, but if you can just keep your head up, you might feel a lot better about the whole flying thing. Okay?” 

Tony nodded warily. Rudolph let go of one of Tony’s hands, much to the blond’s disappointment. They faced forward, beginning to tilt with their backs to the sky. Tony realized he wasn’t afraid of falling to the ground, he was afraid of slipping out of Rudolph’s grasp, or worse, Rudolph letting go of him. He was afraid the vampire wouldn’t care enough to hold on. 

When he got that out of his head, he was able to look down at the towns they sped over, admiring their quaintness and serenity. Tony began to enjoy himself, laughing when Rudolph dipped them swiftly downwards, and whooping when they ducked under bridges, hopped on top of passing cars, or circled around entire towering mountains. He was out of breath and he was having the time of his life. The teenager had never been happier in all his time in Rookery’s control. Obviously, that was not much to compare to, but he didn’t care. He was having fun for once. 

They flew over lakes and rivers, mountains and plains. Tony decided he loved flying. He didn’t care for the heights of course, but with that beautiful vampire holding his hand along the way, he was ready for anything.

Returning home near daybreak, Tony was exhausted. He had worked so long with so little sleep, so he began to drift off as Rudolph set him down on the carpet. The blond leaned into the vampire softly, causing him to chuckle.

“Shall we get you to bed then, Tony?” he cooed.

“We shall,” Tony grumbled, leaning heavily now into Rudolph’s chest as the immortal moved him to his own bed, laughing faintly. Moving aside the thick duvet, he sat Tony down on the bed, who immediately lay down, snuggling against the pillow. Peeping his eyes open, he saw a faint outline of an adorable smile spread across Rudolph’s face.

The vampire pulled the covers over Tony’s shoulders, making sure he was comfortable before straightening himself, preparing to leave. Before the dark haired teenager flew away again,Tony grabbed the sleeve of his leather jacket without thinking. When Rudolph turned around in surprise, all the words left Tony’s mouth and he was left to stare blankly at the vampire until he said something hopefully comprehensible. 

“I- you- can you- umm… will- will you ever be coming back?” 

The immortal chuckled, making Tony feel stupid for asking such a desperate question. He dropped his hand, growing uncomfortable in his soft bed. “I’m so sorry, never mind. It’s-”

“No… it’s alright, you’re fine, really!” the vampire’s smirk slowly faded, and he looked at Tony through heavy lashes, so serious, but so kind at the same time. “Of course, of course I’ll be coming back.”

When Rudolph realized how Tony took it, he snapped back, his eyes widening a fraction before he smirked again. “Now, I’m only keeping an eye on you so you don’t get in any trouble, young Tony Thompson!” the blond boy giggled, snuggling farther into the pillow. “Now you get some sleep. I’ll be back as soon as I possibly can. My father’s a bit high strung though, so I may not be back for a bit. Good day mortal!”

He was suddenly swooping out the window, letting it snap shut behind him as he disappeared into the night. “Sleep well, _vampire,_” the blond whispered, smiling, blushing to himself as he drifted off to sleep, dreaming vividly of every touch he had exchanged with that captivating vampire; _Rudolph_.

Waking up with a smile ghosting his lips, Tony stretched, still amazed at the fact that the teenager had come to his house and taken him flying. He could almost have said that it was just a dream, but when he saw the unlocked window, he knew it had been real. The blond giddily sped through his day, working to get rid of all the garlic and other vampire repelling objects in the little house. When the house felt too silent, Tony broke out a record Manny had tried to gift him on his ninth birthday, but Rookery had snatched it away from the blond’s excited grasp, calling it poisonous to his mind, and hiding it on the highest shelf in his closet. Tony played all the records he had bought secretly over the years. Listening to every song until he got the lyrics right, he spent his afternoon in high spirits, dancing and singing as loudly as he could; no one was there to yell at him now.

Rudolph put Tony in the best mood he had ever had, even when the immortal was gone, he was happy, whistling his entire shift at the grocery store, singing to the truck’s radio, and grinning that night when Rudolph tapped on his window. 


	5. Chapter 5

“Hello mortal!” Rudolph cried, dropping in from the window ledge. 

“You’re back,” Tony breathed, gazing up into his deep, gorgeous eyes.

“I told you I’d be back, didn’t I?” the vampire replied, not skipping a beat. He beamed down at the blond, holding out his hands gingerly, brushing Tony’s chest. “Ready to fly?”

He smiled at the vampire in return, his heart beating excitedly as they clasped hands, nearly interlocking fingers. “I was born ready, man,” Rudolph looked a bit bewildered for a moment at the strange phrase, but realized it was only one of his modern sayings, lifting them off the floor, out the open window. 

With a lurch of his stomach, they were leaping from the ledge, soaring out into the night. Tony hoped that none of his neighbors could see them flying off together at night, because that would be a nightmare if they came knocking at the door, scared out of their minds that he had been floating out of his house with a strange boy each evening. The blond boy felt all the breath leave his body as the two dipped down to fly just above a serene blue lake. The water rippled in their wake, parting for the odd pair. Tony dared to reach out and touch the dark waves, and he heard Rudolph chuckle when he shivered at the icy burn of the water.

“Hey! Haven’t you ever done that before?” he yelled, the wind screaming in his ears.

“Yes, but I’m a vampire, not a mortal! I wouldn’t be able to feel that, I don’t think.” Rudolph gave a sad expression out of the corner of Tony’s eyes, then switching to a more cheerful one. “Let’s land somewhere. I know a great place.”

With a curt nod of Tony’s head, the dark haired teenager rushed upwards, the blond gasping at the rush of air pushing against them. 

Suddenly, he was slipping. Tony felt himself slide out of Rudolph’s grasp, letting go of his secure hands. Then he was falling, yelling for him, screaming for his friend. The wind whipped at his back, his hair flying in all directions.  _ This is it,  _ he thought. _ This must be it. I was finally getting my life together, and now I’m going to lose it all because I couldn’t hold on to a vampire I just met. _ He closed his eyes as he got closer and closer to the ground. Tears stung his eyes when he braced for impact. 

He felt warm arms circle around his body. They caught him, dragging down a bit from the sudden weight, but he was floating some fifteen feet above the ground, safe; alive. Tony clutched Rudolph so tightly, taking deep breaths, wiping tears clinging to his eyelashes. He buried his face into Rudolph’s shoulder, too scared to look down again. The vampire stayed with him in the embrace, allowing Tony to hug him tighter and tighter, flying somewhere: the blond teenager didn’t care. 

“Shh… It’s alright. I’m so sorry, I didn’t expect to drop you… I should have caught you sooner. Please don’t be angry with me… I… I’ll just set you down where we were going to sit before. Here,” he put the blond down on a large smooth rock in a clearing concealed by large oak trees leaning their branches across, shading the moonlight.

“No, it’s totally okay. Just… that scared me,” Tony said quickly, putting his hands anxiously in his lap when the vampire left his arms. He felt empty and cold without the teenager with him. “I’m sorry I overreacted. I should have known you would be right there.”

Rudolph sat on the stone next to Tony, staring at him attentively. “Are you hurt?”

This caused him to look at the vampire oddly; he didn’t even hit the ground, and Rudolph was wondering if he was hurt? “Yeah… I’m totally fine. A little shocked maybe, but you got to me before I could actually hit the ground or anything else.”

The dark haired boy flushed slightly with embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck. “My apologies… I guess… I haven’t felt anything in so long. I can’t feel anymore, at least maybe I feel, but I don’t know what feeling is, to be completely honest with you.”

“What?” Tony said a little harshly, making Rudolph flinch. “S… sorry… I just- didn’t you feel anything… that night we first met?”

He squinted at nothing in particular, appearing to try and recall that night, but Tony knew that Rudolph remembered it precisely. “I… I suppose I could feel… the hurting, but it’s been so long since I’ve had to feel things like pain or happiness, so I can’t… I- I can’t recognize my own feelings anymore, I suppose,” he let out a shaky breath, his hands trembling in front of him. Tony placed his hand on the vampire’s shoulder. He looked at the blond, turning his head so quickly that Tony could only stare at the boy’s confused and scared expression, wanting Rudolph to feel better, until words started to form in his head.

“Hey, it’s okay. When you haven’t needed to think about it for that long, then you get out of practice. It’s like… math! It’s like math. If you don’t use it every day, you forget about it.”

“Thank you, mortal, really,” Rudolph smiled lightly, the tips of his fangs peeking out of his lips. Then he sighed, turning to the stars sprinkled across the night sky. They sat in awed silence for a few minutes, until the vampire startled Tony by hopping off the large stone, lying on the ground. He looked up at the blond boy for a moment, then pat the spot on the grass next to him, beckoning Tony to lie down with him.

He slid off the rock, positioning himself right beside Rudolph. Their arms brushed faintly as they settled down, peering up at the twinkling stars. 

“That man who captured me,” Rudolph began, causing the blond to turn on his side to look over at him apprehensively. He had tried to stop thinking of that night, but he never seemed to be able to get the wounded vampire out of his head, the hatred in his eyes when Tony had stepped in front of him with that stake in his hands. “Why were you with him? If he wasn’t your father, who was he?”

Tony let out a shaky breath, propping his head up with his hand. He looked down into the vampire’s deep, inquisitive eyes. “I… um, he’s- he was my adoptive father. So he practically owned me, and I always had to go with him on vampire hunts, or he’d- he’d…” he shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. He suddenly felt a hand on his arm, a gentle touch, sending butterflies soaring in his stomach.

“I understand, it’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. You shouldn’t think of him now that he’s gone.”

“I guess that’s the problem… Rookery’s still out there. He’s not coming back, but there’s always a possibility I will see him again sometime. He might even be released from that asylum one day, and he’ll come looking for me when that happens,” Tony realized he was trembling, but kept rambling anyway. “I can’t go a day without being haunted by him, and it’s driving me crazy.”

The vampire squeezed Tony’s arm sympathetically, sitting up in the prickly grass. “My family isn’t all too great either. I suppose we still love and trust one another, but we’ve had to live together for so long that it’s constantly tense between us, and we argue all the time. It makes me mad how we don’t get along, but I too am sick of them, and I need time, so much time away from my family. My brother even ran away for many months some fifty years ago, but when he returned, he had run away from a family he created. He has never fully recovered from that, since that family is now old and decrepit; they all aged like normal humans.”

“That’s terrible,” the blond said in surprise.

Rudolph raked alluring slender fingers through his spiky hair. “I presume you hadn’t had enough time to grow tired of that man yet, even if he was awful.”

“Well… no,” Tony started, a pit forming in his stomach as he began to think of Rookery again. “When my parents died, he was the first person that was there for me. I remember him being so… nice. Even when I was so young, I knew it wasn’t right; that wasn’t how he normally acted. But I trusted him,” the blond lay back and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his head, to calm down. Then he heard that wonderful vampire tell him it was okay again, helping him get through it. 

“I trusted him until he moved us out of California. Then I just knew in my heart that he didn’t care about me, he only wanted me to be there as a thing to do his bidding. I got tired of him so long ago and that… night… that night felt like a weight off my shoulders, because I was able to get rid of him. Even if it’s not forever, he’s not here now, so I don’t really have anything to be scared about anymore.”

Tony took a deep breath, turning up to the stars again momentarily before looking back at Rudolph, who was still gazing at the blond softly. “He really did own me.”

“No, Tony, if he did, you’d be nothing without him. And now with him out of your life, you’re finally feeling like you can be yourself again. Even if he really did own you like you say, you are so much better than he ever was, and ever will be. It’s a miracle he barely raised you, because you turned out to be nothing like him, and thank heavens for that.”

Tony bit his lip, smiling at the kind vampire. He looked into his intoxicating eyes, getting lost in the beautiful maroon, exploring the smooth gray-purple skin stretching languidly across his face. He blushed when he looked up to see the immortal still looking at him. Tony blinked.  _ Shit. Say something! He’ll know you like him!  _

“Ehm… thanks! Good to know I don’t remind you of that fleabag.” 

Rudolph laughed out loud, combing through his inky hair again. Tony just couldn’t help but continue to blush.  _ Oh my god I like him.  _ Maybe Tony had known that for a while now, but he was only now realizing just how much he liked him. He had been taught all his life to hate vampires, to fear them. But he didn’t see anything at all bad about Rudolph. He trusted the boy not to bite him, and he loved everything about him already. 

When Tony wasn’t having nightmares about Rookery, he was having dreams about touching the vampire softly, feeling every inch of him lovingly, kissing him even. Tony wanted to be with Rudolph so badly; even though they had only just met.

“I believe we should be getting back shortly. It’s almost dawn,” Rudolph’s kind words lifted the blond out of his thoughts. The vampire flashed Tony a charming smile as he stood up in the grass, taking the mortal’s hand. They soared up, above the towering trees, mountains, and empty graveyards. Tony felt Rudolph squeeze his hand reassuringly before they dove extremely close to the ground, nearly touching the tall grass before shooting up again.

The blond teenager looked at Rudolph, who was glancing across the landscape they flew over. He turned suddenly, locking eyes with him, and with Tony caught staring at the other boy, he smirked adoringly. “Getting used to it?” he yelled over at the blond.

“Sure am, dude!” he replied. The vampire chuckled, looking back at the ground while Tony continued to gaze at him, his heart drumming rapidly in his chest. 

Flying through Tony’s open window, the two touched the carpet silently. The blond reluctantly let go of Rudolph’s hand, his fingers lingering for a moment before he dropped his hand to his side, empty and cold.

“I have a question for you, mortal,” Rudolph said abruptly. Tony snapped his head up, looking to the beautiful boy standing in front of him. 

“Y- yeah?”

The dark haired teenager rubbed the back of his neck apprehensively, which made Tony worried for what he was thinking of asking. “As you know, I’ll be turning three hundred and eighteen years old soon. In two weeks, in fact. My family is hosting a birthday party for me at our clan’s castle. They always invite all of my boring relatives, and I never have any fun. If you would be so kind as to join me, I’d love to have you at my side as I try and get through that horrendous event without falling asleep while flying. So? What do you say, Tony?” 

He was stunned. They had only just met, and Rudolph wanted Tony with him the entire time at his own birthday party? He could hardly believe that the vampire would enjoy his company that much; him, a mortal! His stomach began to perform frenzied backflips. “Uhh… y- yeah! Of course! Anything to help a friend out.” 

The vampire gasped softly, cocking his head to the side. “Friend?”

“Yeah, friend. Why wouldn’t you be?” 

“I… yes! Oh, why not?” Rudolph smiled at him, chuckling softly. 

“I- I’ll see you tomorrow?” Tony asked, his voice lowered to a murmur.

“I’ll see you tonight,” the vampire grinned slyly, leaping out the window and into the night with Tony left behind, waving in awe, his heart fluttering. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a scary amount of research about German culture n stuff for this chapter... enjoy!

The next week passed by in a single flash. Tony sped through his school day, getting through all his homework before he even left the building. He arrived at work early every afternoon, so his manager would let him end his shift earlier. Driving home in Rookery’s truck was difficult, Tony growing unable to remain patient with the sputtering thing, anxious to get home in time to meet Rudolph at his bedroom window.

The two had tried to think of ways to go to the party with the blond human going unnoticed. Tony didn’t want to dye his hair, so that was off the table, but they were discussing trying to cover his face, or just outright telling the clan about Rudolph’s mortal friend. If Rudolph’s father found out, he said he wouldn’t take it well. His father, the leader of the vampire clan, was very against human contact. He hated them as much as humans supposedly hated vampires.

One night the next week though, as Tony was finishing up his closing shift at the grocery store, he watched the sliding doors open but he didn’t see someone walk through. Figuring it was only a neighborhood cat that set off the doors, the blond went back to shelving cans of soup. Then, he felt a cool presence behind him. Tony whipped around to come face to face with Rudolph. He yelped, flinching so hard the cans he held in his hands slipped out, dropping to the floor with dull metal clangs.

“God, don’t scare me like that!” Tony said, punching the vampire on the arm.

“Ow… sorry,” he muttered, rubbing it. “I thought you’d be pleased to see me.”

“Of course I am!” he said, looking at the pouting vampire. The blond teenager bent down to begin picking up the now dented cans. “Just not when you come up behind me while I’m working, bro.”

The vampire sighed at the odd modern term, but crouched to help Tony. “Well,  _ dude,  _ I just wanted to visit as soon as I could, because I’ve just had an idea,” he stopped talking quickly and leaned in close to Tony. “Is there anyone else in here?” he whispered.

“No… uh, why?”

“Oh!” the vampire flushed a bit, looking down at the ground. “W- well… my father doesn’t really- he forbids the vampires in our clan to have any contact with humans. I guess I made… an exception,” he looked up at Tony slyly through heavy lashes, smirking. “But I decided you were one human too alluring to only see once. So now I’m just going to avoid all other humans. That way, I won’t feel too guilty about disobeying my father. If he thinks you are a vampire, then he won’t think I am meeting with humans.

“So! Now we need to make you look like a vampire!” he cried enthusiastically, clapping his hands together. 

“And how exactly are you going to do that?” Tony unloaded the armful of cans onto the nearby shelf, then turned to the grinning vampire.

“It dawned on me just this evening. Does this store have a cosmetics section?” the blond’s jaw dropped, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

“You- you’re gonna put makeup on me?” he barked a little too loudly. Rudolph placed his hands on his hips.

“Do you want to go to that party looking like a full-out human?”

“Well- no, but-”

“So is there any makeup in this place?” Tony stood silent, his mouth still gaping. “Well? Do I need to go and search for myself?”

“Fine! You can put makeup on me then! It’s in the next aisle over.”

Rudolph beamed at Tony, flying over the shelves. Tony sighed, walking around to where the vampire was already picking up an assortment of pallets. The blond teenager peeked over his shoulder, growing more and more concerned when Rudolph appeared to decide on certain eyeshadow pallets, lipsticks, and foundations. It terrified Tony, thinking of so many ways the makeup could wear off in just a way that all the vampires would know for sure that he was a mortal. But he trusted Rudolph, he wouldn’t take him to the party like that just to get him found out.

“Would you like to ring me up then?” soft words said, pulling the teenager out of his thoughts.

“Oh! Uhm… yeah!” Tony ran to the cash register, powering up the old computer. Rudolph strolled up to the checkout, and placed the items on the counter. “Hello! Welcome to Aldi Sü d! Did you find everything okay?” he winked at Rudolph, who grinned from ear to ear. 

“Oh, yes. I had help from one of your lovely employees,” he played along, leaning close to Tony on the counter, smiling slyly. 

“Ah, if- if you give me his name, I’ll make sure to get a good word to my manager tomorrow,” he batted his eyelashes flirtatiously at the vampire, who managed to stifle a snicker. Tony began to scan the items, placing them carefully in a plastic bag. “So… getting some makeup for your  _ girlfriend? _ ”

Rudolph made a disgusted expression, scrunching up his nose so adorably that Tony couldn’t suppress laughter anymore, bursting out into giggles, hearing the dark haired boy chuckle along. Tears formed in his eyes until he finally composed himself. 

“So no girlfriend then?” he said, picking up the last eyeshadow pallet, stepping into character again. 

“Not in a thousand years. I’m only getting this to help out… a friend,” he smirked at Tony, who bit his lip, smiling down at the register. He punched a few keys.

“That’ll add up to €27.22, would you like to pay with cash or credit?”

“…credit?” Rudolph cocked his head a bit to the side, his eyebrows knitting together. 

“I guess that’ll be just cash then,” Rudolph dug out a wad of paper from his pants pocket and handed him a crumple of ancient looking bills. “Are these even Euros?” 

“What are Euros?”

Tony leaned back, chuckling. “That’s the money we use in Germany. What’s this?”

The vampire huffed, crossing his arms with frustration. “Well that’s useless then. These are Deutsche Marks. I thought I was being so modern when I saved them up. It… yeah, it was probably the 1960s,” Rudolph smiled as he reminisced. “Father was letting us go outside then, so I was able to work a night shift. I saved up hundreds of these. Now they’re all probably useless.”

Tony felt his stomach drop at the disappointment of his friend. “Oh, Rudolph. I- here,” he dug out a small leather wallet from his jeans, leaning across the counter as he handed Rudolph a few paper bills. He stared at them in Tony’s hand, who pressed them into the vampire’s hand insistently. 

He slowly handed them back to the blond, who cashed them in, dealing out the proper change. He placed the paper and coins back into Rudolph’s open hand. “I- thank you. Thank you so much, Tony.”

“Anytime, dude,” he smiled at the vampire, who grinned back. “Now, here’s your receipt, and I’ll be closing the store in a few minutes anyway, so you can stay here for a little bit if you want to come hang out at the house when I lock up.”

“Sure!” Rudolph hopped up onto the counter, sitting patiently as Tony moved to begin sweeping the floors and turning off lights. Eventually, he grew bored and helped the blond clean the floors, getting them swept in half the time it normally took.

Before heading out, Tony got an idea. “Wait here,” he called to Rudolph before running to the freezer section. He came back with two ice cream bars. He handed one to the vampire, then locked the sliding doors, walking to his truck while the teenager stood, staring at the wrapper in his hand. Tony stopped when he went to turn the key in the truck’s door, noticing he wasn’t moving. “What’s wrong?”

“I- heh, I don’t know what this is, exactly.”

Tony smiled softly at the confused vampire. He nodded to the passenger’s side as he unlocked the truck. “Get in. I’ll drive us home,” Rudolph flew over, opening the door. He climbed in and jumped when Tony turned the key in the ignition, the engine sputtering to life. “That’s called an ice cream bar. You might already know what ice cream is; this is just on a stick.”

“Oh, okay,” he mumbled, chuckling to himself. He broke open the wrapper with his teeth, pulling out the frozen bar. He took a tentative bite as Tony put the vehicle into gear, driving out of the parking lot. A disgusted sound caused the blond teenager to turn and look at Rudolph, who gawked at Tony, as if he had just tried to poison him. “This is  _ definitely  _ not ice cream!” Rudolph said, bits of chocolate falling down into his lap.

“Yeah, everything’s processed these days. It’s not for everybody.”

“Definitely not.”

The two spent the rest of the ride back to Tony’s house in argument over the songs he was playing on the radio. He enjoyed most of them, but Rudolph hated every single one on each station he switched to. The vampire only settled when Tony found a classical music station, which was playing a melancholy Bach composition. He lapsed into silence, humming along until Tony pulled into the driveway, slightly brooding.

He opened the door, walking to the kitchen where he placed his ice cream in the freezer. The blond walked upstairs to see Rudolph sitting on his bed with the vampire book Manny used to read to him lying in his lap. Upon seeing the teenager walk in, he snapped it shut and stood up, placing the book back on the shelf. “It’s a bit like you and I, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah, I guess so,” Tony said rubbing the back of his neck, flushing.

“Did Rookery get you this? Because that is very unfortunate if he did.”

Rudolph walked over to Tony, coming close to him, looking far into his eyes. “Ha, no. Why would he get me a book about nice vampires when all he wanted to do was make them the bad guy?”

The vampire chuckled and looked up at the blond through heavy lashes. “Those roles got a bit switched around in the end though, didn’t they?” Rudolph was so close now, an icy warmth emanating from his skin. 

“Yeah… I think we know who the real bad guy was,” Tony’s eyelids fluttered, and the vampire reached out for his hand, but paused. He straightened up, floating back to the blond’s window.

“Okay mortal. I’ll see you tomorrow evening for the party. I’ll come just as the sun is setting so I can get you ready. I’ve left the makeup on the counter.”

“Ok- okay,” Tony waved, watching the immortal fade into the night, his heart hammering an unsteady melody against his rib cage.


	7. Chapter 7

On Friday afternoon Tony skipped his shift and finished his homework early, waiting in anticipation for Rudolph to come again. The blond had missed him the other night. He wished Rudolph could come every night, but he knew that his family would surely become suspicious if the vampire was out in town every evening.

At last, when the sun had nearly slipped past the horizon, the dark haired teenager knocked on the window, smiling and waiting for Tony to jump up and open the window. He would normally just enter without knocking; the window was always unlocked, but tonight he was carrying an armful of dark clothes.

“Hello, Tony! Are you ready for your vampire makeover?” Tony snorted, taking the clothing from Rudolph and laying it down on his bed. 

“I guess so,” he sighed, walking to his bathroom. The boy followed him, clutching a set of makeup brushes in his hand.

“I borrowed some of these brushes from my mother, so it’ll be easier to make you look like a believable vampire.”

Rudolph directed Tony to sit on the countertop, where he could reach the blond’s face easily. He first opened the concealer, squirting some out onto a small sponge. He dabbed the cold product across Tony’s face, neck, and hands until every inch had been covered in the pale- almost white- cream.

He then opened one of the many eyeshadow pallets they had purchased and, taking out a brush, he dipped it in the plum colored pigment, tapping it lightly on the side before bringing it to Tony’s eyelid. The blonde reluctantly closed his eyes, allowing the vampire to set to work on the shadow. The brush fell into every area of his eyelids, blending soft and smooth across them.

He felt light brush strokes dance over his face, blending out into his cheeks, his forehead, and his jaw. He sighed softly under Rudolph’s gentle touch. He only opened his eyes when he felt something on his lips. Tony looked up at Rudolph, who was delicately applying lipstick. Their eyes met, Tony feeling a small blush creep into his cheeks as they gazed at each other for a few moments, lost in one another. Then the pale boy straightened up and wiped his hands on his pants.

“Okay,” Rudolph said, standing back to admire his work. “I think you’re done!” Tony turned around to look in the mirror and gasped. He didn’t recognize himself under the makeup, and he had even believed he himself looked like a vampire for a moment. 

“Wow,” was all he could say. Everything was contoured and blended out perfectly; no one looking as closely as himself would be able to notice he was only a young mortal. He turned around to the vampire, who was smiling at the blond’s reflection in the mirror. “Thank you.”

Rudolph flushed, his skin turning a deep purple when he blushed, Tony realized. “Anything to not get my friend killed by my family.”

The blonde chuckled, looking back at the mirror, to see only himself. He had forgotten about the reflection thing. “What’ll happen if someone sees my reflection at the party?” Rudolph gave him a puzzled look, then started to laugh. “What?”

“There shouldn’t be any mirrors down there. What’s the point if no one can see their reflection anyway?”

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said, hopping off the counter. He walked back to his room, examining the pile of clothes on the bed.

“I got a bunch of different items, in case some weren’t to your liking. Do you have black jeans?”

“Y- yeah… they’re right over there,” he pointed to his closet, turning back to go through the clothing when he heard the door creak open, a pair of pants snapping off its hanger.

“Will these do?”

“Sure, and do you think this would go with it?” Tony held up a dark red t-shirt and a leather jacket with chains hanging from the bottom.

“I think it’s wonderful. You’ll definitely look just like a vampire, and just enough yourself for me to come find you if you wander off.”

Tony chuckled, color rising in his cheeks. “You know I can’t fly, so I don’t think I’ll be very far from you during this whole thing.”

The vampire smiled and glided out of the room, leaving Tony to change. The clothing fit perfectly, and the blonde sighed happily, seeing in the mirror how different he looked, admiring the makeup skill of his friend.

“Are you finished in there?” Rudolph’s timid voice rang from the hallway. “May I enter?” 

“Sure.”

Upon pushing open the door, the vampire stopped in his tracks, his mouth dropping open. “Oh, Tony,” he gasped, flying up to him. “You look dazzling.”

The blonde beamed up at him, taking Rudolph’s hand so they would hover upwards. Then the vampire sniffed loudly, wrinkling his nose.

“I completely forgot about that,” the vampire grumbled. 

“What?”

“You smell like a human still. You smell too much like yourself,” Tony could feel himself blush again under the many layers of makeup he was wearing, while Rudolph placed him down on the carpet once more, dashing out the window. He returned a few moments later with a pile of dirt in his hands.

“Ew, dude! Don’t come in with that!” Rudolph groaned, then flew back out of the window, letting dirt trail out from his fingers purposely along the way.

“Better?” Tony nodded, grinning from ear to ear. “Now get over here so I can dump this stuff on you.”

“Dude, seriously? No way am I letting you do that,” Tony said, backing away.

“Do you want to actually fool people into thinking you’re a vampire? Or would you like to be found out and killed by my clan?”

“Okay, okay!” the blond cried, walking up to the window where Rudolph started to run the dirt through his hair, dusting it on the inside of his shirt and even placing a handful inside his coat pocket. “I thought you said they didn’t go near humans,” the dirt covered teenager stated quietly.

Rudolph stopped rubbing dirt over Tony, wiping his hands on his cape. “Oh believe me, we keep well away, but when they do come and try to bother us or kill us, you have no idea the great lengths my clan will go.”

“O- oh. Do… do you really think they’d kill me if they realized I was a human?” he questioned, growing worried.

Rudolph placed his hand underneath Tony’s chin, tilting his head up so he could look him straight in the eyes. He suddenly looked sadly at him, his expression pleading with the boy to believe him. “Tony, I would never,  _ ever _ let them hurt you. No matter if I was banished from the clan, I would protect you. Do you understand?” 

Tony gasped slightly, so surprised that the vampire would do such a thing for a mortal teenager. He would let himself be disowned all to protect the boy he hadn’t even met a month ago. The teenager’s heart began to beat rapidly as he tried to smile at the boy in front of him, all the while blushing fiercely.

Tony could already tell he was falling in love with Rudolph. Of course he had figured out very soon after actually getting to know the immortal that he was attracted to him; that was a given. But now that he was being so kind and unselfish and forgiving, Tony just couldn’t help but fall for him. Then a thought dawned on him.  _ What would happen if I told him? _ he wondered. Would he run away? Would he reciprocate his feelings? In some instances, Tony could swear that the teenager felt the same, but he knew it would be a stretch to say that Rudolph wanted to be with him. Romantically. 

But also, what if Tony only scared him and Rudolph left forever? Tony would be heartbroken if the vampire never came back. Rudolph was all Tony had left. But of course he was already used to people leaving anyway. Yeah, if he told Rudolph, that would be the end of it. He would have no one again. So he decided then to not say a word, and just let their friendship grow.

“Are you ready to go, mortal?” that smooth, soft voice asked. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be, dude,” and the two were off, clutching hands, soaring above the clouds, heading to Rudolph’s birthday party that they were now awfully late to.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this might just be one of my favorite chapters to write so far. Enjoy!

Tony’s breath caught in his throat as the two flew into view of a large rustic castle sitting on the top of a mountain. Its large front walk was clustered with vampires, all murmuring, too deep in conversation to notice the pair hovering above the estate. The rising silver moon cast their faces in an ethereal white glow, dramatically showcasing their thin, bony complexions. 

Tony wondered for a second how he and Rookery hadn’t found this place sooner, because every vampire for what seemed like miles was gathered in just the roundabout drive. 

“Okay,” Rudolph said as they came upon the entrance to the large castle. “We’re going to go in, but before we do that, are you absolutely sure you want to do this? I’m already late to my own birthday party, I can take you home if you really want to, if you’re not up to this, I mean.”

“Of course I want to do this, dude!” he said, squeezing the dark haired boy’s hand reassuringly. “I want to have a little fun before I gotta go back to school and work and everything. Plus, I get to spend the whole night with you!” Rudolph smiled softly at the boy, flushing a bit as he began to push open the door.

“Okay,” he took a shaky breath. “Let’s get this over with.”

Upon entering through the thick oak doors, Tony was bombarded with a dull classical music that made the Bach they had listened to on the radio in his truck seem light and carefree. He understood immediately why the vampire had settled with that particular music.

They hovered into the front hall, stopping in place when they approached three irritated looking vampires. They each stood stock straight, their arms folded tightly against their chests.

“That’s my father, mother and sister,” Rudolph whispered softly into Tony’s ear. “They don’t look happy, but that’s okay, they’re only angry with me. Just act natural.”

Tony gave the vampire a short nod as the man who appeared to be Rudolph’s father approached the boys. 

“Rudolph? Where have you  _ been?  _ We sent your auntie to her coffin already because you never showed up!” he bellowed, and Tony could have sworn he saw his friend flinch when the man spoke. “Don’t you understand how important this celebration is for you? Three hundred and eighteen years, Rudolph! Three hundred and eighteen! And where have you been all this time? Aha! Have you been outside again?”

“Yes- s- sorry… sir, but I wasn’t very far away.”

“Oh, hell, Rudolph! You know that’s not the point,” he flew over swiftly, taking the two by surprise when he wrenched Rudolph by the arm, lurching the pair forward. Then the vampire’s father caught a glimpse of Tony, stopping in his tracks. “And who might this be?”

“Oh, uhm, yeah! This,” the younger vampire gestured towards Tony, “is Tony.” 

The blond nodded his head curtly at the three, smiling. “Tony Thompson, pleasure to meet you all.” 

The older vampire only grunted, basically ignoring Tony. He turned to his son again, tightening his grip on his arm. “Where on earth did you find such an odd vampire clan? I’ve surely never heard of them.”

Tony began to panic, looking to Rudolph. He wanted to do something, but he knew that he wouldn’t help, and he would probably only be ignored. Just then, though, he felt his friend give his hand a reassuring squeeze before speaking up.

“I- I found him when I was flying through… Norway. Yes, I believe I was, right Tony?” the blond teenager nodded, grinning. “His clan welcomed me in when it was almost dawn. That’s where I met him. He was turned into a vampire many centuries ago, and his family stayed in hiding for so long that he… lost the ability to fly.”

Tony fought to look somber as he started to smile at Rudolph’s quick thinking. He loved how clever Rudolph was. He was so wonderfully calm under pressure. His father looked between the two with suspicion, but he seemed to dismiss it for now.

“Oh, darling,” Rudolph’s mother gasped, placing a hand on her heart. She walked over to Tony, placing the other on his shoulder, before Rudolph nudged him. 

“You must be Rudolph’s mother! I never knew that you would be so beautiful!” he took her hand and kissed the top of it, earning a scoff from the vampire beside him, but when he looked up, he was nodding approvingly. 

“I bet you don’t think  _ I’m  _ beautiful,” came an alluring female voice behind Rudolph’s mother. A young girl flew into view, her bright purple braid swaying against her back. Tony was entranced by her beauty for a fraction of a second, stammering before his vision blurred. 

Then he couldn’t see anything. It was like blacking out, only he knew for a fact that he was still very much conscious. He could hear muffled voices and could faintly feel Rudolph’s strong hand holding his. When he came to, he heard Rudolph speaking in a harsh but hushed tone. 

_ “Anna, you can’t do that to Tony, he… his clan might get… offended by your conduct and they may never let me see him again,”  _ the dark haired boy had flown the two into a corner of the hall, and the vampire named Anna was holding Tony’s hand firmly, stroking his fingertips. Tony squirmed under her grasp, pulling his hand away.  _ Why didn’t Rudolph want her doing… whatever it was that just happened? What just happened, anyway? _

“Just relax brother, and  _ let me do it,”  _ she turned back to Tony and beamed at him, batting her eyelashes. His vision started to blur again when he heard Rudolph cry out in protest.

“Stop experimenting on him! Try it on our cousins or something. Whatever gross person you can find. But don’t do that. Not to Tony. If you try to charm him again, I won’t have you anywhere near him. He’s my  _ friend.  _ You will not be messing him up or manipulating him into doing what you want just so he has no clue what he’s done when he’s back to his normal self.”

The girl huffed, glaring at Rudolph before turning and looking up sweetly at the blond teenager. “Well Tony,” Anna cooed, taking his free hand once more. “It was lovely meeting you, and I hope we can find each other again some time, maybe even in Norway. I’ll talk to you later!” she waved absently, then turned in midair, letting her braid swing as she flew away. Tony watched her go with mixed thoughts, mostly confusion, jumbling about. He shook his head, trying to make sense of it, but could only just look at Rudolph, frowning.

“What… what was that? Can you please explain to me what just happened?”

Rudolph sighed, running a hand through his inky hair, letting it fall back into place as he swept through it. “I… there’s this thing my sister can do… it’s like a thrall… do you know what a thrall is?” Tony nodded, growing worried. “Okay, yeah. It’s like that, but it’s more of a girl thing. She’s learned all these spells from our mother, and the one she uses the most makes any creature or human fall in love with her. I personally hate it, it’s so very annoying when she tries it on our relatives, because it’s just disgusting. So whenever my brother Gregory or I bring someone from another clan, she does her charming practice on them instead. She’s gotten quite good at it, and she can do it almost too easily, like she can bat her eyelashes, and you’re suddenly under her control. She got me to scrub the floors once.”

Tony chuckled, and saw that Rudolph was looking back at him, smiling softly. Tony started to blush all over again, his gaze flicking to his friend’s lips quickly before darting back up to gaze into his soft eyes. “I can normally put up with it, but it’s- it’s different with you,” the vampire appeared to panic at what he just said, his eyes skimming Tony’s mouth as well. “M- more dangerous for you, I mean, since you- your… identity would be compromised if she successfully charmed you.”

The blond teenager grinned up at Rudolph, squeezing his hand. “Thanks dude!”

“You’re quite welcome Tony,” the vampire practically beamed at him, then he set themselves down on the pale stone floor. They each walked into the large ballroom-like area where countless vampires were dancing to the morose tune. “And that would be my brother walking over now. Try to be  _ cool.” _

Rudolph winked at him as an older looking vampire flew over to the pair, grinning wildly as he slammed onto the floor, swaying. The handsome immortal clutched a thick chalice in his hands. “Hic- ‘ello, laddies. Ah!- hic- the birthday boy! And his friend! You must try this wine!” he pushed the cup towards the two, who shook their heads with mild discomfort. “It’s almost- hic- like blood, but far better! I feel- hic- alive again!”

Tony snorted, bursting into giggles, clutching his stomach as he doubled over with laughter. Rudolph joined in too, his baritone voice chuckling deeply along with the blond boy. When the laughter had subsided, Rudolph took away Gregory’s chalice, earning an indignant shout from the drunken brother. “Okay, bro. I think you need to rest a bit before you have any more of… this.”

“Bro…? What kind of- hic- modern term is that? Have you been learning from morta-”

Rudolph quickly pushed Gregory aside, shushing him and making sure no other guests had heard what he said. “Alright!” he hissed, pressing the cup into his brother’s hand. “We’ll leave you alone, but don’t drink anymore, you’re being idiotic.”

The two teenagers walked past Gregory, heading towards the dance floor. “I’ll see you around brother! And friend!” Rudolph glanced at Tony, scoffing, but the blond could only smile up at him.

They came to a stop as the song ended, applauding the band before a new composition started. As a new, somehow slower tune began to play, Rudolph grinned at the vampires dancing in circles and turned to face Tony.

The dark haired teenager held his hand out to Tony. “May I have this dance?” Rudolph smiled so softly that it made the blond’s thoughts and fears lift away. He had such a loving expression on his face that all Tony could do was blush and nod eagerly. He placed his own hand gently on Rudolph’s palm. The vampire’s fingers curled around his hand, causing his blush to deepen.

Rudolph looked into his eyes, and a smirk flickered across his face as he dipped his head down. He brought his lips to Tony’s hand, all the while looking deeply into the human’s eyes. His lips were soft and smooth, pressed against his hand, causing Tony to redden even more even when he thought it wasn’t possible. 

Then the vampire straightened and took the boy’s other hand, placing it on his shoulder. Tony gasped, his mouth popping open as his friend snaked his hand around his waist. The boys fit together, chest to chest as the music began to pick up ever so slightly.

“Follow my lead,” Rudolph whispered into his ear. “You’re already doing so great.”

The two swayed along to the beat, following the movement of the other vampires in a circle. Tony grew so comfortable dancing like this, he couldn’t get enough of gazing up into the pale boy’s eyes once he stopped looking at his feet. 

He felt his heartbeat slow in his chest, finally growing calm in the presence of such a charming vampire. His blush still continued to show through, and he just knew that Rudolph could tell. They gazed at one another, becoming lost in their own world as they glided across the dance floor. Tony laid his head down on the vampire’s shoulder. The immortal sighed happily, leaning his head on the blond’s. 

Tony wondered then if Rudolph actually wished to be with him like Tony desired. He wondered if they could ever be more than just friends; if they could be so much more. 

But that was something for another time; all he wanted now was to have someone to rely on. He wanted someone to feel safe with. And in that moment, Tony felt safe. Even with all the vampires in the room who could probably smell the human on him, he felt safe in his friend’s arms. He was so happy. Tony felt good about everything for the first time in his life. He didn’t need to worry about  _ a thing. _

The pair stayed like this, still holding onto one another as the music slowed to a stop. They broke away, taking each other in as they clasped hands once more. 

Rudolph spent the rest of the evening talking with relatives wishing him a happy birthday, and with Tony always by his side. They told the blond’s story almost robotically, every relative asking why they held hands. Some had tried to offer Tony blood to drink, but he always managed to brush them off, claiming to have already had some. 

By the time the clock struck 4 am, most of the guests had either gone to bed or left to fly back home in time before dawn. This left Rudolph to decide they should sneak out before sunrise. Tony had been yawning constantly for the last half hour anyway, and was ready to get all the sticky makeup off his skin. They made their way down a back hallway and out of sight, flying off into the darkness before anyone could see them leave. 

Arriving home, they touched down onto the prussian carpet and let go of each other’s hands. Tony immediately shrugged off his jacket, letting dirt fall out of it as he heaped it onto the floor. He turned around to see Rudolph staring out the window intently.

“Uhm… Rudolph? What's wrong?” 

The vampire turned from the window and gazed at Tony for a moment. “The sun is already coming out.”

The blond’s heartbeat began to erratically rise. He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, staring at the floor as he flushed once more. “Y- you can stay… here for the day if you’d like to. I don’t mind.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” he smiled at the vampire as he floated back down to the floor, looking around the blond’s room. “Uh… I’m- I’m gonna go take a shower really quick ‘n get all this stuff off me. Just… make yourself comfortable.”

Rudolph nodded, pressing his lips tightly together. He sat down on the bed, folding his hands neatly in his lap while Tony drew the curtains so that no sunlight would enter through. He felt Rudolph’s gaze on him as he walked across the hall into the tiny bathroom, feeling his ears burning scarlett. 

Struggling out of his clothes, Tony turned the shower on, a cold spray hissing at his skin. As the water became warmer, he covered his body in suds, watching as gray and purple makeup ran down the drain. He felt his hand, brushing the spot with his thumb where the vampire had kissed it slowly, remembering the soft caress of lips. He recalled how Rudolph had looked at him with the tenderest gaze, really wondering if he actually had feelings for him. He had to.  _ He just had to.  _ There was no other way to explain it.  _ Right?  _

But Tony was too scared to start anything. He was afraid he’d mess things up between them if it turned out that his friend was just having fun. Oh, Tony would give  _ anything  _ to know. He couldn’t keep senselessly wishing and waiting. 

Tony let the water drip down him, trying to clear his head of thoughts about Rudolph. Leaning his head against the wall, he closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before he washed his hair. Dirt and dust turned the water stream brown, running down the drain like a whirlpool leading to blackness and despair. Tony was free of Rookery now, but he still felt like he was drowning. 

But nothing the teenager pondered could steer his thoughts away from the vampire sitting in his room. 

Tony sighed and turned the tap off, grabbing a fresh towel from the hook just outside the shower curtain. He stepped out of the tub, drying himself off. The blond looked into the clouded mirror, hating what he saw; a skimpy, awkward, miserable teenager who couldn’t do anything right except for repressing his true feelings. He ruffled his sandy blond hair, scrubbing his face with a towel before wrapping it around his waist. He turned the doorknob, shivering as he stepped out into the freezing hallway. 

Walking into the room to find pajamas to change into, he heard a soft gasp. Tony stopped in his tracks with a hand on the closet door. He hadn’t thought about the fact that Rudolph had just seen him half naked in his room. He slowly turned his head to see the vampire gawking at him, his eyes blown wide open, looking him up and down with a purple tint flying across his cheeks.

“Oh… ehm- uhh, I- sorry. I’ll just-” 

He grabbed the first shirt and pants he saw, and dashed to the bathroom, hearing a whisper in his wake, “It’s fine.”

He changed quickly, cursing himself for being so stupid. Taking another deep breath, he creaked open the door, keeping his eyes on the floor as he got out an extra blanket and pillow, setting them down as his ears burned. “You can sleep on my bed, and I’ll be here on the floor, if that’s alright with you.”

The vampire stood up, his cheeks still flushed lilac. “Y- you’re letting me stay in your room?”

Tony smiled up at him, trying not to feel so embarrassed. “Sure. You’re my friend, that’s what friends do. We call it a sleepover.”

The vampire screwed up his face so adorably that the blond couldn’t help but breathe out a laugh. “I can hardly believe this,” he chuckled, running a hand through his jet black hair. “You- you’re sure that you want me to sleep in your own bed? Aren’t you worried it’ll smell like… death or something?”

Tony chuckled again, sitting down on his makeshift cot. “It’s totally fine, dude. Just get some sleep. You look exhausted.”

The vampire sighed, then reluctantly kicked off his boots and climbed into the bed, nestling under the covers. 

Tony settled down under the blanket before a thought popped into his head. “Uh… Rudolph? Do you want some pajamas to change into instead of sleeping in that jacket and those jeans?”

The vampire craned his neck to peer at Tony over the bed with a surprised look on his face. “Really?” he said hopefully, sitting up in bed. The blond got up and walked to the closet, pulling out a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants for the dark haired teenager. He tossed them to Rudolph, who caught them, getting up and flying to the bathroom. When he came back, Tony couldn’t help but smile at the baggy clothes on him. He could never imagine the vampire in something that didn’t make him look stiff and mysterious. Rudolph grinned at him before floating back to the bed. 

“Good day, mortal,” he yawned.

“Good day,” Tony murmured, turning over onto his side when the vampire’s head disappeared from view. He quickly fell asleep as he listened to the shifting of his friend under the covers.


	9. Chapter 9

Tony was in the car crash again. He was calling for his parents desperately and they, just like always, remained motionless in their seats. The car horn was blasting continuously, his father’s head lying across the steering wheel. They weren’t restrained by their seatbelts this time, their bodies contorted without constraints. “Mommy! Daddy! Wake up! Why are you sleeping?” 

Glass slowly flew through the window as if it were suspended in the air. A sallow light seared Tony’s eyes as it strobed sickeningly. “Mommy? Daddy?”

They both suddenly whirred to life and sat up, whipping their heads around to look straight at Tony. Their faces were pale and eyes an empty black. He screamed and they melted to the floor, vanishing in a dark oozing pit of tar that sucked him down.

Tony was running. Wind whipped in his face as he sped through the forest, tripping over fallen branches and roots, constantly looking over his shoulder. Everything around him was a blur of murky trees and leaves, only moonlight there to guide him. He felt the beam of a flashlight stinging his back. 

“Get back here you little runt!” Rookery’s voice was sharp and clear behind him, the garlic smell of his breath burning under his nose. Tony had to keep running. But just then he felt a quick, painful jab in his back that sent him tumbling to the ground. Dry leaves and grimy mud caked his clothes as he slid over the slick ground. “Gotcha!” he cried triumphantly. Tony turned over to blink up at him, and the man placed his heavy boot on the boy’s stomach. He pressed down, sharp pain shooting through his body. He screamed, his chest heaving as he tried to find room to breathe.

“Look at you, you pathetic brat,” he snarled, shining his flashlight directly in his eyes. “You couldn’t save him, and now you can’t even save yourself.”

“Him?” he whispered almost inaudibly. Suddenly he saw it, a clearing in the thick fog that had encircled the two. He turned his head trying to get a better glimpse of the thing that was lying against a tall, coal-black gangling tree. He squinted, trying to see it through the fog as well as the inky darkness. Rookery sighed impatiently. When Tony blinked, the body was closer than before, almost touching his arm that was stretched out along the mud. The thing was covered in blood; he could barely make out who it was, and the teenager strained his eyes trying to see them. 

He reached out to stroke a finger softly along the being’s cheek, and suddenly he knew who it was. The smooth, pale skin, the sharp jawline, the spiked black hair. “Oh, Rudolph,” he whispered. Tears began to form in his eyes, and he gulped for breath with the man’s foot still on his chest. He tried to reach out for the vampire again, but Rookery wrenched him back, now slapping him across the face, pulling out a stake from his belt. 

“W- wait!” he sobbed, gasping for air. “I- I need to help him! He- he’s my friend! I love him!”

“You _ pathetic, useless _creature,” he growled. “Can’t you see you’ve already done enough? He’s dead, because of you.”

He stood over Tony, raising it up, preparing to drive it through his chest. 

Rudolph came into view from over Rookery’s shoulder. He was crying tears of blood that dripped in thin streams down his pale face. “Why would you do that to me? I thought you were supposed to protect me. You are weak. I never should have trusted a lowlife like you.”

“I- I’m s- so sorry,” Tony was crying now, hot tears trailing down his cheeks, blurring his vision. He watched Rookery bring it down and shrieked as he felt a sharp pierce, the stake running through his heart, a burning pain engulfing him.

Tony woke with a start, screaming. It took him a few seconds to realize he was okay, back in his own room. He threw off the blanket wrapped around his body, clutching his chest. He tried to breathe slowly, but could only gasp for air, hyperventilating. Tears fell down his face, landing on his shirt as he tried so hard to get his breathing back to normal, but each pull of air felt like it had forced its way back out immediately. Then he heard a confused coo from the bed. _ Oh shit. _

“Tony?” the teenager murmured, his head craning to see where the blond haired boy was sitting up, his head in his hands.

“Oh- oh god… I- I’m so, so, _ so _sorry,” he sniffled, turning to look up to Rudolph, wiping his eyes. 

“Are… are you alright?” the pale teenager uttered.

“Yeah. I’m fine,” he sniffled again, “it’s these _ stupid _nightmares I’ve been having since… since forever.”

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, the blond gasping for air until he calmed down, his breaths growing steadier and steadier. When he had wiped a few more tears away, Rudolph sat up and opened the covers. He moved over and pat the empty spot. “Come here,” he murmured. 

Looking at him with red puffy eyes, he gulped and slowly stood up. Tony sat down at the edge and brought his feet up onto the mattress. He flopped down, letting out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “O- oh,” he breathed as the vampire brought the duvet over the two, pulling it up to their shoulders. Rudolph turned onto his side, propping his head up on his hand, gazing worriedly down at the blond boy beneath him. Tony blushed again; an annoying habit he had gotten himself into when he was with his friend. He prayed that in the dim light Rudolph would not be able to see his red color. 

“You don’t need to tell me about it, but you should know that I’ll be here whenever you want. I don’t care what it is, I’ll be there if you need me. I promise.”

“Th- thank you,” he whispered, turning on his side as well. “Thank you for just being there for me, and thanks for taking me to your birthday party.”

“No problem, mortal. I would have surely died of boredom without you,” he grinned, and just then, Tony remembered something. 

He smacked his head, groaning. “Oh, I completely forgot!” he leapt up, running out into the hallway and down the stairs. He returned seconds later brandishing a large colorful bag with tissue paper overflowing from it. “I got you a birthday present!”

He handed the bag to him, and Rudolph stared at it, dumbfounded. “No one’s ever gotten me a birthday gift before.”

“Seriously? Not even your family?” he cried, gaping at the vampire. 

“Well, once Gregory and Anna knit me a hat, but it was more or less just a mass of yarn in the end, so they gave it to me as a joke. I’d say that didn’t count. I guess birthdays aren’t really a thing we make a huge deal about anymore,” he sighed, looking somberly at his present. “There’s just been too many. I only had a party because I’ve been a vampire for three hundred years. I suppose it’s sort of a milestone.”

“Well, then don’t look so sad about it! This is your first birthday gift in a long time, and you should just open it!” Tony eagerly sat on the bed, biting his lip to keep from smiling too wide at his friend as he watched him pull out the paper cautiously. The first item he pulled out was a record.

“_ Beethoven’s Best _? Has this… got anything to do with music?”

“Yeah! We can play it on that over there,” he pointed energetically at the record player in the corner of his room. Turning back to face Rudolph, he gestured to the record in the teenager’s hands. “Would you like me to play it now?”

“Yes,” he grinned at Tony. “That would be lovely.”

The vampire handed Tony the record, who pulled it out of the sleeve. He walked over and placed the disc on the spindle. He moved the needle to the center of the record, the entire player spinning to life, the beginning notes of a symphony sounding throughout the room. The teenager looked back at Rudolph, who was baffled, but smiling. Tony walked over to the bed and sat down again. 

“There’s another thing in there, if you wanna see it.”

The other item in the bag was a smartphone. “Oh,” Rudolph gasped when he pulled it out, recognizing it as one just like Tony’s. He turned the white box over in his hand, running his fingers along the smooth casing. “I- oh, thank you,” he turned back to Tony, smiling widely.

“Well go on, open it!” the blond encouraged him. Rudolph slid the lid off and looked at the phone in awe, breathing in softly at the sight of dark screen. He sat there looking at it for a few minutes until Tony realized the vampire didn’t know what to do. “Here,” he said, reaching for the phone. “I can help you set it up.”

“Ok- okay,” the pale teenagered smiled, his fangs peeking out from behind his lips. Picking up and placing the phone in the mortal’s hand, Tony showed him how to power it on. Rudolph flinched when the screen lit up, filling the dark room with a flood of white light. They got to setting up a password and phone number, and Tony showed him the touch screen buttons, like a flip phone, but Rudolph didn’t know what those were either. Once he had taken him through the entire phone setup, he took out his own smartphone.

“Okay, what’s your phone number?”

“Oh, uhm… here,” he opened up an app with his number displayed on the screen, having already forgotten it. Tony typed the digits in, immediately pressing the “call” button, and laughed loudly when the vampire jumped as the phone rang. 

“Press the green button!” he said, trying to stop laughing. Rudolph jabbed the screen and stared at it when the call was accepted. “Put it up to your ear!”

He stuck out his tongue at Tony and lifted it up to his ear. The teenager yelped when Tony’s voice came clear as day from the device, leaving Tony sprawled out on the bed, clutching his stomach as he doubled over with laughter. 

“That’s not funny! I’m not even used to this weird technology anyway!” Rudolph pouted as Tony’s laughter began to die down. “I hope you’re pleased with yourself.”

“Of course I am. Now I can talk to you when you’re not here.” 

Rudolph smiled so brightly that Tony started to flush all over again, his cheeks growing hot as he looked away, trying to keep his racing heart under control. 

The symphony in the background sounded it’s final notes, ending in silence. When he glanced back up, their eyes met. Rudolph’s gaze flicked down to the blond’s lips for a moment before they looked into each other’s eyes. Tony felt something almost magnetic pull him towards the vampire and he realized he was sitting up and leaning in, watching his friend do the same, his eyes on Tony’s lips. He felt like he was pushing forward in slow motion, cutting through thick air just to get to him. 

Tony closed his eyes, hoping what was about to happen was actually real. But the moment suddenly vanished when an angry sounding introduction to a symphony resonated throughout the small bedroom. The pair jumped apart, giggling nervously. They each looked down and away from each other, not wanting to talk about what had just occurred, thinking the other one was embarrassed.

“I- I should probably get to bed,” Tony murmured after silence had fallen between the two, rubbing the back of his neck. “I have a double shift tonight anyway.”

“Alright,” Rudolph said, placing his gifts down onto the floor. Tony turned to go back to his cot, but he stopped, hesitant to sleep there. He was so afraid his nightmares would come back as soon as he was asleep. He didn’t want to see the vampire harmed again, nightmare or not. “Are you gonna stay here? Are… are you going to be okay on the floor, I mean.” 

Tony smiled at the boy. Rudolph was so kind to him. The blond teenager had never had anyone care so deeply about him like this immortal being he had just met only a few weeks ago. “Umm… I- I-” he began, trying to keep smiling, but his expression faltered and his eyes welled up with tears. He took a shaky breath, and Rudolph noticed the glint of his watery eyes in the dim room.

“Oh,” he breathed, tugging at Tony’s shirt so he would lie down. “Just stay right here. Everything’s going to be okay.”

The blond lay down, his head hitting the pillow with a thump. He turned over on his side, facing the pale boy as tears started to stream down his face. Rudolph moved in close to Tony, wrapping his arms around him. He buried his face into his friend’s chest and sniffed, his worries fading away. He felt so safe in his arms, with the vampire stroking over his hair, gently hushing him. 

“I’m sorry… I’m too sensitive. You must be sick of it by now,” he whispered into the teenager’s chest.

Rudolph’s hand paused in his hair, moving to tilt Tony’s head up, looking worriedly into his eyes. “Don’t _ ever _be sorry,” he affirmed. “You’ve had such an awful childhood, and it’s not your fault Rookery has made you grow up like this. Now you should get some rest. You don’t look like you’ve slept very much lately.” 

“Thanks, Rudy,” he whispered sleepily, smiling to himself when the vampire inhaled softly at the new nickname. Tony snuggled further into Rudolph’s pale, muscular arms, taking in his earthy scent. He closed his eyes tightly, feeling everything around him fade away, far away. He was so safe now. He had everything he had ever wanted right here and now, holding him in their arms. Tony didn’t care that he wasn’t with Rudolph romantically. He was just happy he had such a valuable friendship with him. The blond teenager just wanted to stay like this forever and not have to get up for work; not have to get up for school. Just being in the vampire’s arms was enough for him. Tony didn’t need anything else.

He slowly fell asleep, his eyelids growing heavy as Rudolph held him tighter, reassuring him. The only things he heard were the vampire’s steadying breaths and the quiet crackle of the record player.

＊＊＊

Tony’s alarm blared in the room, a glowing orange light peeking through the drapes. Tony shot up, slamming the screaming thing off. He rolled over, deciding he wanted a few extra minutes to doze in bed until he actually had to get up. He could just pick up the speed on the drive to work. But he turned, coming face to face with the sleeping vampire in his bed. 

While they slept, Tony had come to wrap an arm around Rudolph’s shoulders, who was holding him securely by the waist, both arms circled around him.

Rudolph looked so peaceful, his perfectly chiseled jaw and cheekbones glinting in the waning afternoon light. His hair was a bit sleep-tousled, sticking out elegantly at different sides of his head. His dark lips were parted from sleep, his breaths coming in and out steadily. He was less intimidating in his sleep; Rudolph always felt nearly unreachable, even when he was so kind to him. Tony couldn’t quite figure him out, which made him all the more frustrated that he couldn’t express his feelings for Rudolph. His friend smiled softly in his sleep and breathed light breaths against the blond’s neck. Chuckling to himself, he saw his friend’s eyelashes flutter and he pulled Tony closer in his sleep. Tony felt a warmth rise to his cheeks and he smiled, lying in his arms for just a moment more before he had to get up.

Hearing the static of the record player sitting in the corner brought Tony back to his own thoughts. He _ had _ to get up, he’d be late for work. The blond turned over, delicately sliding out from his friend’s arms. Grabbing his uniform and shrugging into it, he heard Rudolph sigh sleepily into the pillow, reaching out unconsciously to the empty spot where Tony had just been. Tony smiled at the sight and walked over to the tiny bed. He brought the duvet back up to the vampire’s chin, who snuggled into it, a corner of his lips twitching upwards.

Tony ran a hand silently along Rudolph’s cheek, sighing when he heard another soft sound from the vampire. He took out a pen and paper from the bedside table, scribbling something down before glancing at the digital clock. He cursed, realizing just how late he would be. Dashing out of the room, he bounded down the steps, running out the door to the truck. Jabbing the key in the ignition, he sped off, racing down the block, praying his manager would not be too upset.

When he had driven a few streets over, his phone suddenly rang loudly in his pants pocket. He cursed again and pulled over, sliding the phone out of it. Tony smiled when he saw Rudolph’s name on the screen. Answering the call, he brought it up to his ear. 

“Hey, Rudy!” he said loudly, grinning into the phone. 

“Hello,” came a far away, muffled voice.

“You need to come closer to the phone. I can’t hear you,” he bit his lip to keep from laughing. It was just like talking to a grandmother. He supposed Rudolph was old enough to be one, though.

“Is this better?” the boy’s voice came through clearer. 

“Yeah,” he said, smiling again.

“Tony…” 

“Yeah?”

“How- how come you left?”

Tony’s throat tightened and he stared out at the road blankly. “Uhm, I had to go to work. Double shift. Remember?”

“Oh… right…” the vampire breathed lightly into the phone. “You… you left me a note telling me to call you. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

“I… I was just wondering… I mean,” he blew out a breath, running a hand through his hair. He could already feel color rising in his cheeks. “I thought you’d wake up later and call. I… wanted to know when you’ll be back again.”

Rudolph chuckled into the phone. “I probably should have mentioned that… I might not be back for a while… _ Frederick _ will definitely be angry that I left my own party early. He was already cross with me when we arrived; you saw.” 

“Oh… I- I guess I’ll see you then.”

“Alright, mortal. Good night.”

“‘Night,” he murmured, a pit growing in his stomach as he ended the call. He would have to go a long time without seeing his friend, and Tony didn’t think he could handle it. But he pulled the truck back onto the road, speeding down the street to see if he could make it to the store in record time.


	10. Chapter 10

“Hello Tony!” Rudolph cried, flying through the blond teenager’s window a week later. He had come back the very next night after he had called Tony, to his surprise. And the next, and the next. Sometimes they went out flying, and other times, he simply sat and watched Tony do his homework. Tonight, they had a different plan. Tony had found out how to turn on the old TV downstairs. It was stuck on a rotation of three channels, and one of them had an old horror movie marathon that evening. The teenager had taken the earliest shift he could, finishing all his homework between ringing up customers and stocking shelves. He had only just gotten back, having a few spare moments to change. 

Rudolph was dressed in the clothes Tony had given him the time he had slept over, wearing his stiff leather jacket over it. 

“You look ready,” Tony said, eyeing him up and down.

“I’m excited to see my first moving picture!” he took up Tony’s hand, flying the two dangerously through the hallway and down the stairs. Tony laughed as they fell hand in hand onto the couch, leaning against each other when they simultaneously lost their balance. The two giggled, with Tony leaping up to grab some blankets and the packets of popcorn he had purchased that afternoon. He threw the mass of quilts into Rudolph’s chest, earning a yelp of surprise from him as Tony chuckled, walking to the microwave. 

He pressed each number with a loud beep, sensing Rudolph fly over curiously. The machine whirred to life and the vampire brought his face up to the small window, peering through to watch the rotating object. When the first kernel sizzled and popped, the dark haired teenager leapt up in the air. He clutched Tony’s arm for stability, who collapsed into laughter. Rudolph pouted while the blond tried to compose himself. 

“You really should warn me about these modern things, Tony,” he huffed and turned around, walking to the couch. The boy sat down, crossing his arms and bringing his knees up to his chest. Tony shuffled over to where Rudolph was seated, the obnoxious popping in the background. 

“Sorry… I didn’t think. I always forget that you’re three hundred years old and don’t understand all this weird stuff we have now,” he nervously fiddled with his hands, relaxing when Rudolph stood up, smiling at Tony. He walked past, looking at the wrapper. 

“So, what do you do with this ‘microwavable popcorn’ then?”

The blond followed him over, opening a mahogany cabinet above the charred black stove, pulling out a bowl. “We put it in here and we eat it. It’s pretty simple.” 

He beamed over at his friend, who was watching the digital numbers count down to zero. He flinched once more when it beeped, and he excitedly opened the microwave door. Pulling out the bag, he handed it to Tony, hissing at the heat of it. Tony handled it quickly, opening the bag and dumbing out its steaming contents. He smiled when he saw the mix of confusion and awe on the vampire’s face. 

He continued to stare at it as they sat down on the couch, Tony flicking on the TV. “You can eat it if you want to,” he murmured. But Rudolph was now mesmerized by the moving screen in front of them. He pushed the bowl aside into Tony’s lap, standing up. He walked up close to the screen, his nose brushing up against the glass. He jumped back when the screen met his face with a static touch, hanging in the air, panting.

“What the bloody hell is that?” he cried, sitting down close to the blond. He tucked his knees underneath his chin and stared at the TV wide eyed. 

“It’s a television, Rudy. A ‘moving picture’ or whatever you called it. It’s like your phone, you just can’t touch it. We’re gonna watch a horror movie like I said,” Rudolph smiled at him anxiously, but he quickly relaxed, leaning back into the couch. The opening credits on a black and white background displayed on the glowing screen. 

Rudolph was swept into awe as Dr. Jekyll strode across his lab. They both absentmindedly picked through the popcorn, entranced by the movie. The two occasionally looked away when they brushed hands, grinning at each other. The first time Mr. Hyde killed a man walking down a dark street, they both jumped. Rudolph tipped over the popcorn bowl, apologizing between embarrassed laughter.

When the first movie ended, Tony got up and made more popcorn during the commercials. When he returned, Rudolph was spread out across the width of the couch, snuggling into the blankets. Tony flushed and grinned from ear to ear. “Dude…”

“I’m never moving,” the vampire mumbled into the quilt. So Tony set down the bowl and stepped up onto the couch. “What are you- agh!” he yelped when Tony landed on top of his stomach, both boys struggling to fit lengthwise on the couch together. Rudolph giggled as he tried to move Tony’s arms out from their position on either side of his head. 

Tony suddenly lost his stability and collapsed onto the vampire’s chest with a thump, the air getting knocked out of both of them. Their legs tangled together and the blond teenager lifted his head to find himself looking straight into Rudolph’s eyes. They were each caught off guard by how close they were to each other, but neither made any move to get up. Rudolph’s eyes flicked to Tony’s lips and the sounds of the TV faded into the background. They both continued to stare at each other, blinking until Tony cleared his throat. 

“S- sorry,” he rolled off, running a hand through his hair as the title sequence of the next movie flashed across the screen. 

The two gasped when they saw what it read:  _ The Fearless Vampire Killers.  _ They each turned to look at one another with an expression of concern for the other boy. When they both shrugged indifferently, they settled down again; this time Rudolph moved again to sit shoulder to shoulder with Tony. 

They decided early on that it wasn’t too great of a movie anyway; it wasn’t realistic to the vampire’s living at that time. It wasn’t even scary. The only bad thing was the vampires, who didn’t even act like real ones, according to Rudolph.

“They must have been drunk like Gregory was,” Rudolph had commented, sending Tony into silent laughter.

But Rudolph still grew upset over the misconceptions of vampires in the movie, and he told Tony to turn the volume down, all the while hiding his face on the blond’s shoulder. 

“Hey,” the teenager said, lifting his friend’s chin up. “It’s okay. I totally understand that you guys aren’t like that at all. You don’t need to be embarrassed by what’s clearly wrong.”

Rudolph nodded, and laid his head back on Tony’s shoulder. The mortal’s cheeks burned red, but he was able to keep himself under control, resting his head on Rudolph’s gently. They watched the majority of the movie before they dozed off together, hands resting on top of one another.

Tony woke up blearily to a pounding at the front door. He gasped, trying to sit up and see who it was, but was stopped by the fact that he was currently lying in Rudolph’s arms on the couch. The two had somehow shifted throughout the rest of the night to lie down side by side again, with Rudolph spooning Tony from the edge of the furniture. The blond felt awful yanking the vampire up like that, but the persistent slamming on the door had woken Rudolph up nevertheless. They glanced at each other for a moment, sighing as Tony began to climb over the vampire. 

The banging would not cease, which worried Tony, so he opted to peek through the heavy curtain in the window beside the door. Seeing the rough form through the glass, Tony gasped. He backed away quickly from the door, trembling. He covered his mouth, his breath starting to come in shallow and ragged. He felt a gentle hand grasp his wrist from behind. Tony whipped around, staring in terror at the concerned vampire. But Rudolph’s warm presence allowed Tony to calm down just enough to speak.

“It’s- i- it’s him- it’s Rookery,” he gasped, hyperventilating. 

“I know you’re in there, boy! Let your old man in!” came a dangerous booming voice from outside the door. The two jumped when Rookery threw himself at the door, shaking the little house when he rammed against it.

Rudolph turned Tony around, holding him by his shoulders. “Okay, let’s get away from here then,” the teenager whispered. He gripped the blond’s hand, flying him up the stairs. Rudolph grabbed his coat as they flew out the window, looking at the man as they rounded the house, trying to get out of sight. But Rookery had seen them, who was now breaking down the door fully. He stopped, but ran through the threshold into the house. With a sharp inhale, Rudolph took off, bringing Tony along as they flew up into the sky. They paused to see Rookery return moments later, running across the lawn to the truck. 

“Oh! I forgot to take the keys! They were right on the counter, and I-” Tony turned to Rudolph, his eyes going glassy. “I- I kept the flashlight he used on vampires in case the truck broke down at night.  _ God  _ I’m- I’m so  _ stupid _ .”

“Hey! Hey,” Rudolph squeezed his hand. “Everybody makes mistakes. We can’t think about that now though. We have got to get you far away from him.”

Tony pressed his lips together in a thin line and nodded his head. They dove down, soaring across the town. Tony caught a glimpse of the man’s flashlight flickering far in the distance. They were getting very far away from the beam of light, and Tony suddenly tugged at the vampire’s arm and pulled them back. Rudolph looked back at the boy apprehensively, his deep red eyes flashing a pale pink in the moonlight.

“He must have broken out of that psychiatric hospital. I- we have a life here, but he’s not gonna leave ‘til you’re dead and I’m back with him. I- I think we need to get rid of him again.”

Rudolph nodded. “Let’s get him.”

They dipped down, racing back towards the small town. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m almost done with this work, and I think this will end up being about 60,000 words long. phew! Happy reading!


	11. Chapter 11

Coming upon the tiny houses, the two teenagers immediately heard the loud engine of the man’s truck tearing down a nearby street.

“We’ll lead him to the police station,” Rudolph yelled as the wind whipped in their ears. Tony nodded, surveying the winding roads. They were only a mile or so from it. 

Rudolph led them towards his truck, which was speeding down a narrow avenue. He hadn’t noticed them yet, and Tony was afraid of what would happen when he did see. Suddenly the truck screeched to a halt. The two stopped for a moment.

“Why would he stop like that?” Tony looked to Rudolph for an answer, who only shrugged his shoulders.

“We could try flying by to see if he notices,” he nodded at the vampire, who shot them across the sky, the wind slashing against them. As they flew past, the truck jumped to life, the engine growling and flashlight dancing around them. 

Tony’s heart began to race and his breath came in short and shallow. He didn’t want Rudolph to get hurt trying to help rid Tony of what he was afraid to face again. If Rudolph was ever injured because of him, he’d never be able to forgive himself. He hated how much his friend trusted him sometimes; Tony couldn’t protect Rudolph if anything were to happen to him. He couldn’t see his best friend die as he only helplessly watched from a distance. But the blond didn’t want his friend to go away. Tony wanted him there, with _ him _, for the rest of his life. Forever. 

A beam of light touched Rudolph’s hand that was holding onto Tony’s, and he yelped, releasing his grasp on the boy. Tony screamed, falling hundreds of feet, his arms flailing, reaching out for the vampire. He knew Rudolph would catch him. He had to. 

He had stopped screaming and called Rudolph’s name before realizing he wasn’t there yet. He closed his eyes tightly when he saw the roofs of houses pass by. A tree branch snagged his shirt and he tumbled in the air. He opened his eyes to see a flash of grass and concrete. It was close, _ so close _to him. He shut his eyes again, waiting for impact with the ground. 

Then he was wrenched upwards suddenly, hearing a painful cry from his friend. Tony felt the grass brush his back as he was lowered gently to the ground. Rookery’s truck rumbled in the distance, approaching the street. Tony’s heart hammered in his chest, which rose and fell quickly; he was still in shock. Rudolph hissed, holding his ashen looking hand in his lap.

“Rudolph? Are you alright?” he tilted Rudolph’s chin up so that the teenager would look up into his eyes. 

“Yeah,” he winced when he flexed his hand a bit. He rapidly stood up, holding out his one unharmed hand to the blond, who took it, standing up shakily. “I’ll be fine. Are _ you _ alright? I nearly didn’t save you in time. I would have never forgiven myself, and I gave you quite a fright. Here,” Rudolph shrugged off his jacket as he realized the blond was hyperventilating and helped Tony shimmy into it, his heart beating out of his chest, not just from the fall. His hands barely came past the ends of the sleeves; it just about swallowed Tony, hanging off of him comfortably. It wasn’t as hard and crusty as Tony imagined a three hundred year old jacket would be; it was large and soft and warm and smelt of- oh, he knew exactly what it smelled like. He wanted to keep that jacket forever. 

“Th- Thank you, Rudy.”

“Of course,” he smirked, lilac flashing across his face. “Let’s put that foolish man back where he belongs.” 

Tony reached out for him, but paused. “Rudy… I’m only going to slow us down,” he murmured. “You saw what just happened now. I almost got you killed, and now… now he’s coming because you had to get me. Just leave me here.”

Rudolph scoffed and took Tony’s hand roughly. “I’m not leaving you here. We’re in this together, you and I, and I won’t let that thing get his hands on you,” he lifted them up into the air, flying down the street where Rookery had just turned into. The light danced across the sky, and they swerved at each near miss of the beam. 

“The station’s just that way,” Tony pointed out into the distance, and Rudolph dipped down again. They picked up speed, shooting across houses and storefronts with the truck still on their tails. Tony laughed noisily when Rudolph slowed down, egging on Rookery.

They rounded a corner and stopped, panting hand in hand as they waited for the man to catch up. When they saw the light dancing across the intersection once more, they took off, giggling together as they approached the police station. 

Landing in the parking lot, they waited at the door for Rookery’s truck to turn into the place. Tony stepped in front of his friend, shielding him from the bright light when the vehicle came to a halt. 

“C’mon, old man! I think you can do far better than that. Or are your eyes getting old? Do you need my mother’s reading glasses?” the little vampire taunted. The pair snickered as the man climbed out of the truck, running towards them. When he got too close, Tony brought back his arm and punched Rookery square in the jaw. Rudolph gasped behind him when he hit the ground, groaning in pain. They ran into the building, holding hands once more, approaching a desk where a bored looking man in a deep blue uniform was seated. He looked up when they slammed into the desk, panting.

“How may I help you b-” 

“There’s a man out there, my f- father,” Tony almost gagged saying that. “He- Rookery’s going to come in here in just a moment and say something about vampires,” he desperately blurted out, glancing over his shoulder to see the man shifting outside the door. “He’s crazy. I was able to get him away from me last time, but he broke out of the institution to kill me and my friend. You _ need _ to help us. _ Please _.”

“Okay,” the man at the desk replied, scribbling something down. He pointed behind him, down a narrow hallway. “There’s an exit back there, if you want to get out of here. We’ll handle it and try to get him back where he came from. We can take it from here.”

“Thank you, sir. _ Thank you so much _ ,” the blond boy began to run down the hallway with Rudolph following closely behind. As Tony pushed open a door labeled _ EXIT _in white letters, he heard loud voices echo from the main entrance.

“Sir-”

“Where are they? Where is that boy and his vampire brat?”

“Sir- calm down, you need to come with us-” as the door closed softly, the two heard a sharp smack, followed by more heavy thuds and officers shouting. They looked at each other, panting slightly, and laughed. They laughed so hard, gasping for breath, holding their stomachs. The pair rested side by side against the rough red brick of the police station wall when they had finally calmed down, still chuckling together.

“That,” Tony breathed, “was the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”

They collapsed into laughter again. “And- and you punched him right in the face!” Rudolph exclaimed. “That was… that was awesome!”

Tony lapsed into giggles once more at the modern word that had escaped the boy’s mouth. Their laughter eventually died down, and they stood in comfortable silence, listening to the loud commotion that came from inside the station. 

Their fingertips touched for a moment, and they both looked at each other simultaneously. Tony blinked up into beautiful maroon eyes. He watched Rudolph’s tongue flick out, licking his lips. The vampire’s eyes glanced to his mouth before he leaned in slowly. The blond’s heartbeat skyrocketed in his chest. He leaned in as well, curling his pinky finger around Rudolph’s. Their breath mixed, warm and sweet together, ghosting each other’s lips. His eyes had just fluttered closed when he heard someone clear their throat. The pair leapt apart, breathing heavily as they whipped their heads around to see Frederick floating in front of them. 

“What are you _ doing_, Rudolph, flying around at night where mortals could see-” his eyes flicked to Tony, looking him up and down, surveying him. Then his eyes grew vibrantly red, flashing with anger. “Ah… and what is this? Have you actually gone and found yourself a puny mortal boy?”

“Father, it’s not what you think,” Rudolph glanced at Tony helplessly.

“Then what is it?” the older vampire crossed his arms tightly across his chest.

“Uhm… I- I…” he rubbed the back of his neck, looking to the ground at a loss for words.

Scoffing at his son, Frederick studied Tony more closely, narrowing his eyes, but then a flash of recognition crossed his face. “You!” he pointed at the boy, causing Rudolph to snap his head up, peering fearfully at his friend. “You are that tiny little flightless Norwegian vampire that hung onto my boy for his entire birthday party! I knew something was off about you, but you had me fooled.”

“Y- yeah, that’s me.”

“Silence!” he snarled, still pointing at him accusatively. Tony shrunk back, looking to the ground just as Rudolph had been doing. “I don’t care who you are, but stay away from my son from now on. He doesn’t want to be near you. Why would you care for this… this _ thing _ that doesn’t even have _ feelings anyway _? And you,” he turned on his son, chuckling darkly. “Why would you want to be friends with a mortal? After everything I’ve told you about what humans are capable of, you won’t heed my warnings. They are dangerous and won’t hesitate to kill you for an instant. You can’t trust him like other vampires. Now come along, Rudolph. You’re needed at home.”

Rudolph gave an apologetic glance towards Tony before flying off with his father. This left the blond standing in shock, watching helplessly as the vampire disappeared into the night. Tony was now standing miles from home, alone and in the dark. He only sighed and began to walk, not particularly toward his home, but anywhere. He didn’t care where he was, he just wanted to be with Rudolph. Tony figured he wouldn’t be seeing the vampire any time soon, and getting the keys to Rookery’s truck was out of the question. It would probably be tossed in a junkyard or used for spare parts- the truck already looked like a spare part itself.

Tony turned down a street that he thought would lead home. With his hands in Rudolph’s coat’s pockets and a red tint still present on his cheeks, he continued to think about the alluring vampire. He was sure of it now that his friend felt the same way as he did. It was the only explanation for every near kiss they had shared, that had been interrupted so easily. He groaned and looked up at the sky, trying to clear his head. 

If Rudolph had stayed with Tony just then, if they hadn’t been stopped in the first place, _ would this all be different? _Would the blond teenager be flying home with Rudolph, having been thoroughly kissed, or would he be waking up in the morning in the vampire’s arms? Speeding up his pace, Tony tried to get his friend out of his mind; pondering what could have happened, but didn’t, and would never happen. Ever.

Tony collapsed onto his bed and shut his eyes tightly. He was always too hopeful. Why hadn’t he ever given up on Rudolph and just decided to stay friends? He couldn’t just do that. He had to go and fall in love with his best friend and ruin it. He couldn’t even have a stupid _ conversation _with him without blushing. Tony scrubbed his eyes and fell into a restless sleep, tossing and turning, waking up at strange hours thinking he heard Rudolph’s light tap at the window, but he was never there. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve finished writing this piece and now I only have to go through editing (bleh) but stay tuned for more frequent updates!


	12. Chapter 12

Rudolph returned days later, mumbling an apology about leaving him at the station when Tony abruptly ran up to the vampire who had just entered through the window.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, Tony,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair, beginning to formally apologize. “My… my father wouldn’t let me venture outside. He didn’t trust me and he thought I would only go and visit you again… which he was right about, as a matter of fact.”

The two giggled nervously, and Rudolph offered his hand out to the teenager, who took it immediately, eager for the rush of wind against his face again. But he stopped, frowning before the vampire turned to the window. 

“What’s wrong?” his friend asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you worried that we’ll be found out by your father again? Won’t they get super mad at you if that happens?”

Rudolph let out a deep chuckle, lifting the two off his carpet and through the window. “I don’t care anymore. As long as I get to see you, mortal, I’ll be alright. I’m sincerely sorry for leaving you when my father discovered us… and after we had just been chased by Rookery. I could not have done a more awful thing to you,” he paused in midair, whipping around with pleading eyes. “Could you ever forgive me?”

“O- oh of_ course_ I forgive you. I’m flying with you now, aren’t I?” the vampire blew out a breath of a laugh, shooting off into the sky with Tony at his side. 

The pair eventually sat down on a grassy mountaintop, surrounded by prickly grass and violets. A cool midnight breeze ruffled through the trees, engulfing the two boys in a calm whispering crackle. Their hands lay next to one another, nearly touching. Tony’s heart thrummed noisily in his chest as he tried to find the right words to say. 

“The moon is beautiful tonight,” Rudolph said, lost in the night sky above them. Tony hummed, distracted, studying Rudolph’s features longingly. They each lay down in the grass, not saying a word when their hands brushed momentarily. Resting shoulder to shoulder, they lay in silence for a long while, gazing at the stars.

Tony practically vibrated the entire time, going through so many scenarios in his head._ This was going to be the night he told Rudolph. _ He had turned this thought over and over in his head for the days Rudolph was gone. He had decided that this would be the night. The night he would stop being a wuss and ball up enough courage to be able to tell his best friend how he felt. He couldn’t have Rudolph leave that suddenly ever again, with no knowledge of his return. No looking back. Never. 

His heartbeat increased tenfold, as much as he thought it couldn’t quicken any more. He held his breath, shutting his eyes tightly before he let it out, sitting up quickly. “Rudolph?”

“Hmm?” the dark haired teenager replied, sitting up as well to look into his eyes. Tony flushed, growing frustrated with himself that he couldn’t keep it together. “What is it?”

“Uhm… I…” he began, looking down at the thick grass. He pulled a few blades out anxiously, feeling them against his fingertips. He discarded them and stood up quickly, running fingers through his blond hair. He looked out at the sky again, cursing it silently. “Rudolph… I… I have school… in the morning…” 

_ Damn it. _Tony nearly kicked himself for being so stupid. Of course he wouldn’t have said anything. 

The way he was raised turned him into a small, meek, weak-spirited teenager. He couldn’t express himself. He had grown to shut people out, afraid they would reject him. He may have thought he could do it sometime, but not now. Not with a kind, gorgeous vampire in front of him, making him feel so special, so loved and cared about. 

“Oh… alright,” the vampire sighed, sitting up. That pulled Tony out of his thoughts, who snapped his head down to look into his eyes. Before the dark haired boy stood though, he paused, crouching next to a spot of purple on the ground.

“What are you…” he began, trailing off as Rudolph plucked a flower from the earth. He twirled the tiny violet between his fingers, biting his lip as he glanced up at the blond through thick black eyelashes. 

“Here,” he whispered, the vampire’s fangs showing through his small smile. Tony breathed in sharply as his friend tucked the flower behind his ear, brushing the blond’s cheek softly as he did so. He could feel his cheeks burning while Rudolph took his hand gently, lifting them off into the sky once more. 

Touching down on the carpet of his own room, Tony said a short, embarrassed goodbye to the immortal, who let go of the blond’s hand slowly, reluctant to break away. Glancing at the rising sun, he took off through the window. But before he did, he looked back at the teenager and smiled, which made his stomach do cartwheel. 

“W- wait!” Tony abruptly stuttered as Rudolph turned back towards the sky. He raised an eyebrow ardently, silently assuring the blond. “Uhm- would you like your jacket back? I know you left in a hurry before and I never had the chance to return it. I’m sorry you weren’t able to have it for so long I feel so bad about taking it-”

“Keep it for now,” Rudolph cut his rambling off. “I certainly don’t _ need _ it, and, well, it suits you wonderfully.”

“I-it does?” Tony murmured. 

Rudolph smirked softly, his magnificent maroon eyes twinkling in the dim light. “It goes with your eyes. As well as the flower.”

And with that, he pushed off the windowsill into the night, with Tony nervously toying with the violet as his cheeks burned red and his heart beat wildly out of control. 

Once the vampire had gone, Tony crawled under his covers, shivering. Why, _ why _ hadn’t he said _ anything? _He was so sure Rudolph felt the same way now, and he wasn’t doing a thing about it. He was so stupid to think he could ever possibly tell Rudolph how he felt. 

Tony groaned, rolling over onto his back, staring at the ceiling. He felt for the tiny violet, plucking it out from behind his ear. Tony laid it down on the nightstand next to his bed, turning his head so he could gaze at the beautiful flower as he drifted off to sleep, thinking only of the vampire. That amazing, beautiful, wonderful, courageous, alluring vampire he knew now that he was in love with. 

＊＊＊

Rudolph began to visit more and more. Not that he hadn’t been visiting a lot before, but he came nearly every night, talking to the blond until he fell asleep, watching him do homework, or taking him out flying. It had become such a regular occurrence that Tony almost forgot how infatuated he was with his friend. Almost. 

He couldn’t help blushing each time Rudolph delicately touched him, soft fingertips caressing his skin. He loved the deep lilac blush that crept up Rudolph’s neck when he saw the blond wearing his jacket, making him feel more courageous in front of the boy he loved. 

Even when he was disappointedly returning Rudolph’s jacket weeks later, he felt a flutter in his chest when his fingers brushed with his friend’s. Sometimes Tony could even feel like they were dating, maybe not kissing, but they held hands more than most couples probably did. It still hurt terribly to wake up in the morning with the vampire gone. He hated the empty feeling in his gut, not seeing him there when he opened his eyes.

But tonight, Tony was going to try and make Rudolph stay, for real this time. And he was a bundle of nerves as he tried to think of the right moment to tell his friend how much he loved him. 

Gliding through the window the blond had just opened, Rudolph grinned at Tony, silently touching his feet to the floor. “Hello mortal! Would you like to go flying tonight?”

He bit his lip, forcing down a wide smile as he nodded eagerly. And with that, Rudolph grasped his hand, his heart drumming rapidly in his chest. They lifted off, flying through the window, the wind stinging their faces. The two soared over indigo mountains and leafy oak trees. The leaves rustled in the breeze, rippling from the wind. They came upon a lake, and Tony sighed, amazed at the cool black pool.

Recognizing Tony’s amazement, the dark haired teenager brought them down to sit on a thin wooden dock. They let their feet dangle over the inky glass, so still and silent underneath them. Rudolph suddenly stood up and took off his boots, releasing a sweet, pungent scent. Tony covered his nose with his sweatshirt. 

“Ugh, dude!” he joked, wheezing into the cloth. “When was the last time you took a shower?”

“I’ll have you know it was last night,” the vampire laughed back, shoving his foot jokingly in the mortal’s face. They lapsed into loud giggles, bumping shoulders as the blond teenager pushed the boy’s foot away, untying his own red sneakers. They each rolled up their pant legs, dipping their toes in the freezing water. Tony hissed in a breath as the cold liquid lapped at his ankles. 

Rudolph sighed happily, looking over the lake. “Isn’t it gorgeous?” he whispered.

“Yeah…” he breathed, not taking his eyes off the object of his desires. “Yeah it is.”

He quickly turned away when the vampire noticed his staring, looking out at the trees while Rudolph watched him for a moment, confusion dancing across his face. They sat on the dock for a long while, their arms touching as they gazed up at the night sky. Finally, Rudolph got up, shaking his feet dry, splashing Tony with the frigid water. He yelped, scooping up a handful of it in retaliation, splashing it right back in the vampire’s face with a sharp spray that made him gasp. 

Tony chuckled, bending down to scoop up more water, but Rudolph was fast, crouching close next to him, clenching Tony’s wrist. He looked up quickly, still smiling. His grin faded though when his friend didn’t let go, gazing at the teenager’s lips. Tony couldn’t help but glance down as well, becoming lost in the vampire’s fangs, the curve of his lips, the intake of breath. 

Rudolph leaned forward, placing a cool hand on the blond’s freezing one. Tony shivered, watching as he leaned in. The vampire closed his eyes, parting his lips as he inched closer. Then Tony took in a shaky breath and surged forward, but their noses met, smashing into one another. They launched apart, collecting their shoes and socks in silence, not bothering to put them back on as they clasped hands awkwardly. The pair made their way back to the house, speeding quickly across the little town, not making any eye contact save for quick, sweeping glances. 

Tony realized what he had done wrong then, wanting to go back and redo that moment. That could have possibly been their first kiss, but he had ruined it. _ Like he always did. _

The vampire gave a short wave to Tony when they had dropped down into his room, and began to head out the window again. 

“Wait!” the blond yanked at his coat sleeve, wrenching him back to the ground. Rudolph shuffled on his feet uncomfortably, his eyes darting to look everywhere _ except _ at Tony. “I… uhm,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to see how he could talk his way out of this one. _ But this was it. It was now or never. He could tell him. What was the harm? He had already ruined a moment, so why not ruin another? _

“I… I need to tell you something… something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while, like, _ a while. _”

“Alright,” the vampire allowed Tony to lower his arm, and he stepped closer to the human. The blond blushed under his friend’s sweet earthy scent, wanting so desperately to grab him by the collar and kiss him senseless. “Go ahead.”

“I…” he couldn’t help but think about how patient Rudolph always was with him; no matter what. He always looked like he wanted to know exactly what he had to say. 

Tony shut his eyes tightly and balled up his fists. _ Come on. _He took a deep breath. 

“IreallyreallyreallylikeyouandIcan’tstopthinkingaboutyouyou’resoamazingandkindandcuteandfunnyandIthinkI’minlo-”

“Woah!” Rudolph eyes were blown wide and he had placed a gentle hand on Tony’s cheek to make him stop speaking, causing him to grow redder by the second. “Slow down. I didn’t understand any of that.”

“I-” then Rudolph’s hands were holding his, stroking them with his thumbs. The blond looked up into his friend’s eyes with a newfound confidence. He blew out a long sigh, dipping his head before pulling the dark haired boy so they were each seated on his bed, facing one another.

“I… I like you,” he closed his eyes and held his breath, afraid of what he would say in response.

“I like you too, mortal!” 

His head shot up excitedly, but his face fell once he saw Rudolph’s understanding expression. “No, Rudy, you don’t get it. I _ like you _ like you. Like, I wanna kiss you _ like you. _ Like, I want to be with you every waking moment, forever, and I can’t stop thinking about you _ like you. _Do you get what I’m trying to say?”

The vampire was gnawing at his lip with a sharp fang. He looked so confused and so scared. He knew Rudolph had understood perfectly what he had tried to explain, but something wasn’t right. _ Oh. He didn’t feel the same. _

The teenager’s heart sank so deeply in his chest. He let go of Rudolph’s hands silently, moving to get off the bed. “Oh… I see, I misunderstood everything. I’m so sorry. Look, we can just forget about it and-”

“Wait,” cool hands grasped Tony’s shoulders. “I think I might know what you mean. Can you… show me?”

The blond’s heart beat so rapidly in his chest. He thought he knew what the vampire was trying to say, but he wasn’t quite sure. “Show… you?”

“Show me,” he whispered. Tony nodded, looking down at the dark haired boy’s lips. He reached up and cupped Rudolph’s face in his hands, his thumbs running lightly across his jaw.

He heard him take a sharp breath as Tony leaned in, placing a small, tentative peck on Rudolph’s cheek. The vampire’s eyes fluttered as Tony leaned back, looking into his beautiful maroon eyes. And with a steady breath, he went back in to kiss him fully on the lips this time. His breath ghosted Rudolph’s lips and he felt his friend shudder at the feeling of the blond so close. Suddenly the immortal was pulling away, jerking his body up, floating restlessly in the air. Tony’s mouth popped open, and an embarrassed flush spread like lightning across his face.

“I’m- I’m so sorry. I can’t do this,” he stuttered, glancing sharply at the blond before shooting to the opposite end of the room. And with that, he was gone, flinging open the window, dashing outside, far away from him. 

Tony ran to the ledge and leaned out, calling the vampire’s name helplessly, but to no avail. He cried out, until his throat blocked up, until tears welled up in his eyes, stinging painfully. He closed and locked the window, stumbling back to the bed his friend had occupied just then. 

The blond crawled onto the duvet, and once he leaned his head back against the wall, he allowed tears to spill out. They ran down his cheeks, falling hot and heavy on the blanket. He placed his face in his hands and sobbed, his entire body shaking. He let out terrible choked sobs, crying for the loss of his friend. 

He knew he’d spoiled it completely now. He had messed it all up; like he always, _ always _ did. There was no getting around it. _ He had just lost his best friend_. 

No matter if Rudolph had felt the same, he still had launched himself away from Tony. He didn’t want to _ actually _be with him. He was probably disgusted with him but didn’t know how to react. 

The vampire didn’t even want to be anywhere near Tony in the first place. He was just friends with the boy out of pity. He only felt indebted to him. That was all. He wanted nothing else to do with him. 

_ He wouldn’t ever come back now_. 

And Tony understood that. Who would want to be with a person like him anyway? _ Everyone _Tony had loved had left him; why should Rudolph be the one to stay? Why would he be different? 

_ Oh god. _ He’d ruined _ everything_.

He sniffled loudly and moved under the blanket, hearing his tears fall to the pillow with soft taps. Tears continued to pour until his sobs reduced to sharp hiccups. He continued to weep well into the morning, falling into a restless sleep, waking up at all hours with a lurch in his throat that sent him back into tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some angst! (I’m so sorry guys)


	13. Chapter 13

Rudolph didn’t come back for nine days. Tony counted each and every dreadful hour. He cried himself to sleep on the nights that he lay awake waiting for the vampire that would not come.

His dreams were filled with Rudolph. He plagued Tony’s head with harsh words and gentle brushes of lips. Tony couldn’t go a single moment without thinking of what might have been; if he could have done something right to make Rudolph want to be with him. He began to bury himself in his schoolwork and his job, desperately attempting to detach himself from the boy that was not his. But all of that was done in vain. Nothing he thought of or did could jerk his attention away from his absent friend.

One evening, he had miserably trudged home from his job; walking now because he didn’t have Rookery’s truck anymore. He had fallen fast asleep after whipping through his homework, barely even stopping to think about the dark haired boy. 

He dreamt of a simple field full of wildflowers. Blades of grass danced about in the cool evening wind, the moonlight reflecting off the rippling plants. Tony tread lightly through the field, careful in his steps as he approached a silhouetted figure with his back turned to the blond. He was inches away from the boy, reaching out to touch him, to turn him around and see his face.

When Tony brushed his shoulder with his fingertips, the teenager spun around to gaze down at him, smiling. His monotone skin glinted purple in the shadows created by the moonlight, adorned in beautiful glittered eyeshadow and a white satin shirt. He immediately swept Tony up in his strong, muscular arms, dipping him low so that he could kiss him. When their lips touched, Tony knew the mysterious stranger was Rudolph. He swooned in his friend’s arms, feeling the tight hold on him as his mouth moved against the blond’s. It was welcoming and warm, trusting Tony with himself as the boy placed a tremulous hand on the back of his neck. Then Rudolph was letting go. He let Tony fall to the earth with a dull thud. He glanced over the mortal, scoffing. 

“Pathetic,” he sneered, kicking at the helpless teenager blinking up at him. “Why would I want such an insipid fool as yourself? Rookery was right about you. You're weak. You’re pathetic. I would sooner kiss  _ that man _ than be with you. Why don’t you just leave already? Stop being so hopeful. It’s over.”

Rudolph caught the front of Tony’s shirt, scraping at his chest in the process. He wrenched him up, pulling the blond teenager with him as they bolted up into the sky. Tony screamed, flailing beside Rudolph as he tried to find stability, but the vampire was already letting go. He let Tony fall hundreds of feet, wailing his name as he quickly neared the pavement of the roads below. 

Tony awoke with a choked gasp to a loud rap at his bedroom window. His eyes flew open and he rolled over to peer at the neon red digits on his clock blaring 2:15. He shot up when a softer, almost uncertain tap came. 

Tony looked to the closed curtains, and with a painful ache in his chest he crawled out of bed, trying to smooth out his hair as he made his way to the window. His hands trembled as he pushed open the fabric, locking eyes with a frightened looking vampire. He paused, clutching tightly onto the heavy cloth. 

His eyebrows were knit together and he was running a hand anxiously through his ink-black hair. Tony’s heart caught in his throat. His mouth popped open for a moment, before he closed it again, reaching out to unlock the window with a painful hitch in his breath. 

The glass swung out with a high pitched screech, and Rudolph hesitated outside until the blond beckoned him in. He touched down silently onto the carpet, clearing his throat. The vampire opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly closed it again. 

They stood in uncomfortable silence, switching between staring at the floor and glancing at the other boy. At last, Tony decided to speak up. 

“I… thought you weren’t gonna come back.”

Rudolph took in a sharp breath, looking up painfully at him, ashamed. “I should not have left you like that, Tony. I’m so sorry.”

“I guess I’m just glad to see you again.”

“And I as well,” the vampire chuckled shakily and looked at the floor once more. He flashed a cracked smile up at Tony before it faltered, and Rudolph burst into tears. Tony gasped at the sudden change in his friend and rushed over. The vampire didn’t flinch when he wrapped his arms around him; he almost melted into the touch. 

The blond boy brought a hand up to his back, stroking it gently as Rudolph began to sob, his shoulders quivering while he took in rapid, unsteady breaths. He clung to Tony’s shirt, pulling him close.

“I- I’m so- s- so sorry for what I did. I didn’t- I have no idea what I was thinking. I wasn’t. I- I freaked out. I didn’t know what it was like to- to feel things. I- I’m a  _ vampire, _ I’m not supposed to feel  _ love _ .”

Tony’s heart sank and he brought a hand to his chin, lifting his face so he could look into the boy’s puffy, tearful eyes. 

“You probably don’t even want to be near me right now. You must be disgusted with me,” the vampire sniffled. “I even disgust myself.”

“Oh c’mon now,” the boy cooed, moving his hand so he could gently cup his cheek. “You’ve never disgusted me. Not then, not now, not ever. You’re perfect, and I like you just the way you are.”

Rudolph smiled and leaned into Tony’s hand, his eyes fluttering closed as he breathed in heavily. The blond wiped away a few stray tears from the immortal’s face, allowing his friend to rest his head on his shoulder as the last few sobs died away.

Rudolph moved his arms to circle around Tony’s waist and he lifted his head, peering deeply into his eyes. 

“I’m so sorry I hurt you like that. I didn’t realize what I was doing until I got home and Frederick had grounded me. If I had not been so… so  _ stupid  _ and hesitant then we wouldn’t be in this awful mess.”

“Rudy, who ever said it was a mess?” the blond murmured as he placed his hands at the back of Rudolph’s neck, playing with the hair at his nape. 

The vampire grinned down at him, biting his lip. His gaze flicked to his lips before returning again. His eyes looked more somber now. “Thank you for not being so terribly mad at me,” he whispered. 

“Anytime,” he replied, wrapping his arms around his friend’s shoulders, bringing Rudolph closer so that their chests were pressed together. The vampire leaned in closely, his breath cool on Tony’s cheek as he pressed his lips there in a small peck. The blond gave a quiet gasp and the dark haired boy immediately pulled back.

“Was- was that okay?” 

Tony nodded. “I guess I was just surprised is all,” he chuckled softly. There was a beat of silence before Rudolph leaned in again, this time nearly touching Tony’s lips. He paused and their gaze met, each boy’s eyes filled with desire.

“And this,” he whispered, his breath playing across Tony’s mouth. “Is this okay?” 

“Yes,” he breathed, leaning in so that their lips met.

And for a moment the world stopped. He felt himself go weak in the knees, and if not for his grasp on Rudolph, he was sure he would have collapsed. He tightened his arms around the vampire, who sighed happily into the kiss. 

Tony couldn’t believe he was kissing the boy he had dreamed so much about; the one he had dreamed about kissing so many times before. And yet, it was so different compared to what he thought would happen. It was softer. It was breathtaking. It was real. And Tony was so happy, his entire body practically vibrating as their lips moved softly together. 

Rudolph whimpered slightly as their lips parted, but couldn’t stifle the large smile that spread across his lips when he came to look down at the blond once more. 

“Wow,” he grinned, looking down ecstatically at Tony. He beamed up at the vampire, blushing under his delicate gaze. 

They stood together for a while unmoving; scared to mess up the perfect kiss they had just shared. But then Rudolph leaned in again, and their lips melted together. 

They each fit like puzzle pieces, slotting their mouths together languidly, softly. Tony nestled deeper into the vampires arms, pressing his lips further into Rudolph’s. 

For a few minutes it was only lips meeting over and over, nibbling, licking, tasting. Then Tony pushed Rudolph suddenly to a nearby wall, pressing him up against it. He held Rudolph by the lapels of his jacket as their lips met hungrily, and the blond parted to lick a thin, gentle stripe up the boy’s bottom lip, causing him to groan with pleasure. Tony leapt at his open mouth, taking the opportunity to dip his tongue into Rudolph, swirling it inside. The immortal groaned further, their tongues intertwining. 

They parted for a moment, panting with their foreheads pressed together. Maroon eyes met sky blue, and then closed again as Tony brushed a chaste kiss to the dark haired teenager’s mouth before moving to his neck. He placed light, gentle kisses along the skin there, smiling against his neck when he heard a barely-there groan escape the boy. 

Upon pressing his lips to Rudolph’s jawline, the vampire captured Tony’s lips once more, and they shared a long, slow kiss, their lips sliding silently together. They parted with a muted pop, clutching one another. Rudolph then took the pause to push Tony gently backwards until his knees hit the edge of his bed. He immediately sat down, lying himself out across the covers, where Rudolph climbed over him, enclosing around the blond.

He lay propped up on his elbows above Tony, running cool fingers through the boy’s golden hair. The dark haired boy leaned down and brushed his nose to Tony’s, evoking a happy sigh from the human. The teenagers remained there, breathing deeply, smiling.

When they had regained their breath, Rudolph pressed a tender kiss to the boy’s mouth. Tony craned his neck upwards to deepen the kiss, smiling softly into the vampire’s lips. He still couldn’t believe this was happening. It was all like a wonderful dream that he never wanted to wake up from. 

They parted again, each loath to let go. Rudolph collapsed next to Tony on the bed, placing an arm across the blond’s waist, pulling him in. Tony chuckled, smiling as the pair’s lips met once more in a long, drugging kiss. He turned onto his side to fully face the vampire and placed a hand on his cool cheek, drawing out the kiss. With every part of lips, they met again, shifting ever closer, smiling wider, and holding one another tighter. 

At last they broke apart, their foreheads pressed together, still grinning. Tony stroked the vampire’s cheek gently. He ran his thumb across Rudolph’s bottom lip, taking a soft breath.

“I’ve been dreaming of that for years,” he whispered.

The dark haired teenager chuckled softly. He brought his arm tighter around the blond so that their bodies were pressed flush together. “Was it all that you imagined it would be?”

Tony practically beamed at the vampire holding him. “It was everything I imagined and more.”

Rudolph laughed, bringing his lips to the mortal’s as they sat in comfortable silence, caressing each other. 

Rudolph then pressed a chaste kiss to the boy’s forehead before getting up. Tony’s heart began to race as he panicked. “Are you leaving already?” he rushed, still feeling the tingle of the vampire on his lips.

“Do you want me to go?” the immortal replied cautiously. 

Tony’s heart sank. Rudolph thought that he only wanted him in that moment. He didn’t understand how much Tony desired him; how much he needed him. He wanted Rudolph to stay forever, to hug him tight and never let go. He didn’t want to watch him leave ever again. Tony wanted to show Rudolph just how much he meant to him; he wanted to do it all right now. He wanted to have him. All of him. 

“Rudy… I never want you to leave,” he whispered. The vampire smirked and slipped off his boots, shrugging out of his jacket as he approached the bed where the blond was now opening a spot under the covers for him. 

He slid into the bed, settling far beneath the covers, pulling Tony close once more. The blond snuggled in his arms, already feeling so warm and safe with Rudolph there beside him. 

“I’m so glad that you came back. I thought you might never want to see me again after what I did.”

Rudolph moved a hand from the boy’s waist to his hair, stroking through it gently. “You have no idea how much I wanted to return and apologize after I left, but I was afraid you’d hate me for what  _ I _ did, so I didn’t- I didn’t come back- I just- and my father-”

“Shh,” he hushed Rudolph, kissing the corner of his mouth when his eyes went glassy. “It’s alright. I was scared that you hated me too,” he chuckled into Rudolph’s chest. “I guess we’re just both complete idiots when it comes to this.”

“I suppose so,” the vampire breathed a laugh into Tony’s hair, pressing a soft kiss to his head. “Sleep well, love.”

Tony blushed and smiled brightly up at Rudolph, sighing as he tucked his head underneath the boy’s chin. He waited until he heard the dark haired teenager’s breathing slow, and then his mind began to race. 

He breathed in the vampire’s scent deeply, wondering just how lucky he had been to stumble upon this beautiful, amazing, perfect person. Tony lifted his head, looking just once more at the sleeping vampire. He gasped softly when he saw the remnants of tears on the immortal’s cheek that hadn’t been there before. The blond lifted an arm to brush at his cheeks, wanting to take his pain away. He felt horrible for being the reason that Rudolph was hurt so badly. He wanted to do anything to make it right again. He loved the boy with all his heart, and he wished that they had figured everything out before; that he had had Rudolph before so many awful misunderstandings had occurred. Then a sudden thought popped into his head. Rudolph had said he wasn’t supposed to feel love.  _ Love.  _ What if Rudolph  _ loved  _ Tony as well? What if they were so much more to each other than the other thought? Rudolph was already everything to Tony and more, but what if he felt that way too? 

Tony grinned to himself and kissed Rudolph’s cheek, watching the vampire’s eyelashes flutter and a smile ghost across his lips unconsciously. The blond nestled beneath the dark haired teenager again, and he drifted off to sleep, a bright, happy fluttering feeling in his stomach.  _ Everything was okay again.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! It took a long time to get these great idiots together, and I couldn’t keep any angst between them for long. They deserve happiness!


	14. Chapter 14

Tony woke up slowly, forgetting where he was for a moment. He just lay basking in the warmth surrounding him. He hadn’t slept like this for weeks, and he didn’t want to ruin it so soon. He drew a sharp breath when he heard a sleepy murmur beside him. Tony’s eyes shot open to see Rudolph lying before him, holding the blond in his arms. He beamed at the sleeping teenager. Tony felt his face flush as he realized what had transpired the night before, as he realized nothing had been a dream after all. 

He closed his eyes again, sighing happily as he snuggled further into the vampire’s arms. Feeling the steady rise and fall of the pale boy’s chest, Tony lay awake, his heart thrumming rapidly. He was so incredibly happy that everything had worked out; that Rudolph had really wanted him after all. 

He suddenly felt a shift in the bed and heard a soft, sleepy coo escape the vampire’s lips. Tony opened his eyes a crack to watch Rudolph blink his eyes blearily. The blond gasped softly when Rudolph pressed a gentle kiss to his hair, even when the dark haired boy thought he was asleep. He opened his eyes to gaze up at him, already wishing to have Rudolph forever. 

“Good evening, mortal,” he grinned from ear to ear. 

“Hey Rudy,” Tony whispered, bringing his lips to the pale teenager’s. They held themselves there for a moment before parting, smiling at each other. Rudolph held Tony’s head, fingering through his hair as he continued to press kisses over the blond’s face. He giggled, allowing Rudolph to roll over and position himself above him. 

Tony reached up to hold the vampire’s head between his hands. He brought his face to his, kissing him longingly. Rudolph let out a small groan before the teenager beneath him let his head fall back onto the pillow. He lowered himself so that their noses brushed gently, and then the vampire proceeded to climb out of the bed. 

“I’m hungry,” he declared as he lifted his shirt to scratch his stomach. Tony chuckled and got up, lacing his fingers between Rudolph’s. 

“C’mon. I’ll make you pancakes,” Tony could already see the confusion written across the immortal’s face. He snorted, pulling Rudolph by the hand. “It’s definitely not blood, but it’s awesome. Just trust me.”

“Of course I do,” Rudolph smirked. Tony led the boy out of the room, his feet lifting off the carpet as they flew down the stairs to the kitchen. 

Landing on the cool tile, the blond set to work preparing the pancake mix. Rudolph sat on the countertop, watching his friend attentively. When he had switched on the stove, he began to pour batter onto a skillet, the mixture sizzling against the pan. 

As Tony flipped a single pancake, he felt strong arms come from behind and circle his waist. He giggled when he felt the vampire press gentle kisses down the back of his neck. Turning over the last few on the pan, he twisted his body to come face to face with Rudolph. He discarded the spatula he was holding some place onto the counter; he couldn’t care less where. The only thing that mattered was his arms around the dark haired teenager, and his mouth on his. 

Tony wrapped an arm around the vampire’s shoulders and placed a hand in his hair, stroking through ink-black spikes. The blond gazed into his friend’s eyes, licking his lips as he smiled softly at the beautiful vampire in front of him. Rudolph shifted closer, and so he captured the pale boy’s lips quickly, coaxing a surprised moan from deep in his throat. 

They moved together for several minutes, running tentative hands over each other, kissing sweetly. When Tony had just begun to feel himself harden against the vampire, he smelled something burning. 

“Oh god, what’s that smell?” Rudolph broke away from Tony, wrinkling his nose.

“Oh!” the blond gasped, turning swiftly to the smoking pancakes. “Oh… I’m so sorry,” he quickly removed the blackened bits from the pan and threw them in the garbage. He turned back to see the boy leaning on the countertop, snickering. “What’s so funny? You wanna starve?” he grumbled, pouring more batter onto the griddle. 

“No- it’s just- oh, you are adorable,” the vampire grinned, placing a cool hand on the back of Tony’s neck. The blond couldn’t keep pouting, a wide smile spreading across his lips before he kissed Rudolph softly once more. 

With a large stack of steaming pancakes sitting in front of the boys, they ate silently, exchanging adoring glances with one another. After finishing their plates, the two flew upstairs once more. They ducked under the covers for the second time that day, sharing warm, slow kisses until they grew tired. Tony curled up alongside Rudolph, draping an arm across his stomach. He laid his head on the vampire’s shoulder, who pressed a delicate kiss to his forehead. 

They lay there for a few hours, drifting in and out of soft conversation, feathering light touches over one another every now and then. When it had grown to be nearly dawn, Rudolph turned his head to the blond. 

“Tony… may I ask you something?” he whispered. The mortal lifted his head so he could look into deep pools of maroon. 

“Yeah?” he said, moving to kiss the vampire tenderly at the corner of his mouth.

“Is this going to be a one-time thing… you and I?” Rudolph ventured, biting his bottom lip with a sharp fang. 

Tony’s heart sank in his chest. He reached out to cup the dark haired teenager’s icy cheek, feeling him blush under his touch. “Of course not, Rudy. I want to be with you for as long as I can- I- I want to be with you until I die- I want you to be with me forever, if that’s not too much to ask.”

It was now Tony’s turn to bite his lip, feeling as if he’d said too much; that he would scare the vampire he loved away again. But Rudolph only grinned. He sat up in bed, leaning over the teenager. The pale boy moved his hand to brush through his golden blond hair. “Oh,  _ Tony _ , it’s not,” he cooed, bending down to press a chaste kiss to his lips. He then took Tony’s hand in his, looking a bit nervous. “I… Tony. Will you… would you like to be my- my boyfriend? Is that what you call it now?”

The blond’s heart leapt in his chest, beating wildly as he blinked up at the vampire sitting before him. He nearly pinched himself.  _ This can’t be real. This can’t have turned out so well like this without something going utterly wrong.  _ But things hadn’t, and Tony was overjoyed. Everything was perfect, and Rudolph had just asked  _ him _ to be  _ his _ boyfriend. The boy couldn’t suppress the large smile that stretched across his face. 

“Yes,” he whispered, feeling a sting of relieved tears. “ _ Oh god, yes. _ ”

Rudolph returned the smile, leaning down to place his hands on either side of the boy’s head. He leaned into a long, passionate kiss, their lips moving so perfectly together. The blond broke away for a moment, catching his vampire’s bottom lip between his teeth as they moved apart. Tony pushed Rudolph upwards so they sat knee to knee on the tiny bed. He brushed delicate fingers over his boyfriend’s cheeks, feeling the quiet sighs of his gorgeous vampire against his mouth. 

The two kissed for what felt like hours, but Rudolph broke away eventually, glancing at the rising sun. 

“I really should be getting back to the castle, Tony,” he said, placing a hand on the blond’s flushed cheek. “I haven’t been home in a few nights.”

Tony pouted, not wanting to have to watch the vampire leave again. “Hey,” Rudolph murmured, tilting the boy’s chin up. “I promise I’ll come back tonight; or as soon as I can, if my father isn’t terribly cross with me.”

“Alright,” he groaned. But before the vampire could stand up, Tony was kissing him again, darting his tongue into the boy’s mouth. When his boyfriend groaned, the blond deepened the kiss further, silently pleading with him to stay. Rudolph suddenly pushed him away, chuckling.

“You can’t do that to me, mortal,” he tucked a stray hair behind the blond’s ear. “If you keep doing that, you  _ know  _ I won’t be going anywhere.”

“Of course I know that,” he giggled, leaning in to kiss his vampire once more. With a quiet pop of lips, Rudolph straightened up, taking Tony’s hands in his. 

“I’ll see you very soon, darling,” he whispered as he brought the boy’s hands to his mouth. Tony made a small, helpless sound, but nodded curtly, watching as the vampire turned to the window. Winking cheekily at the blond before hopping off the window ledge, his boyfriend flew out into the night, leaving Tony to stare on in amazement. He sighed and fell back onto his bed, covering his flushed face with his hands. 

Bringing his hands back down to touch his lips, Tony couldn’t help but smile wildly up at the ceiling. He blew out a long breath, marveling at what had just happened in less than 24 hours. He had a boyfriend now. _ A boyfriend!  _ He continued to grin from ear to ear. He was with the boy that he loved, and he wouldn’t exchange it for the world. Tony shifted to the side of the bed his boyfriend had just occupied. He took in his sweet earthy scent, and the warmth that he had left there. The blond fell asleep with a smile still playing across his lips. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who leaves all the lovely comments on this work! They genuinely make my day make this fix worth writing knowing that I’m reaching people <3


	15. Chapter 15

Rudolph flew through Tony’s window the next night to see him lying on his bed, his record player drawing out the last notes of a song. 

“Rudy!” the blond gasped, leaping up from the bed. He ran over to the vampire and threw his arms around him. “You’re back already,” he sighed into the pale boy’s ear. 

“Of course. I couldn’t last very long without my boyfriend,” he murmured back, kissing his cheek. 

He scooped Tony up and carried him to the window seat. The blond giggled once they were seated, leaning in to kiss Rudolph. Their lips met for a second before Tony broke away, running a hand softly through the immortal’s spiked hair. 

“Thanks for coming back so soon,” he whispered. The vampire smirked and placed his hands on his hips. He ran cool fingers along the waistband of his pants, causing Tony to shiver excitedly. Rudolph looked up at him through heavy lashes, licking his lips alluringly, his fangs glinting in the moonlight. The mortal lunged forward and their lips collided together. Rudolph gasped but held on tighter to Tony’s hips, pulling him close. 

The blond teenager cupped his boyfriend’s face in his hands, licking at his bottom lip. Going back in to kiss him, Rudolph suddenly pricked Tony’s lip. The two boys froze. They sat unmoving, unsure of what to do as a drop of blood began to run down his lip. Then Rudolph looked up at the blond with searing red eyes and let out a throaty growl as he picked up Tony again. He whipped the boy around and slammed him against the wall. All the breath left Tony’s lungs, and he gasped for air as the vampire hungrily lapped at the blood dripping down his chin. He grasped at Rudolph’s shoulders, fumbling with the fabric of his jacket. 

“Rudolph! What are you doing?” he whispered hoarsely, panicking. “Rudy!” 

The dark haired teenager snapped out of his trance immediately at the sound of Tony’s voice rising, and when he saw what he was doing, he shoved himself away from the mortal in horror. His eyes darted about, returning to their natural deep maroon. 

“Oh- oh my god… oh_ my god _ , I’m so, so _ sorry _,” he backed away, but Tony immediately reached out and grasped his wrist. He wouldn’t let Rudolph leave thinking he had ruined everything between them when he had only done something he couldn’t control. He pulled him back so they were pressed up against the wall once more. 

“Hey,” he cooed. “It’s alright. You couldn’t help it… we can… we can stop if you want-”

Rudolph looked up at him as though he was afraid that Tony didn’t actually mean it; like he was faking that he still wanted to be near him. “Why aren’t you scared of me? I’m supposed to be hurting you.”

“Well you’re clearly not, dude,” the blond smiled at his vampire, holding him tightly by the waist; securing him. Rudolph looked at Tony apprehensively for a second before understanding and chuckling lightly, leaning in so that their lips met. Tony smiled into the kiss, the vampire’s tongue slipping inside his mouth. 

He loved how trusting Rudolph was. He knew he could rely on Tony, and that made Tony so overjoyed that he could finally be thought of as someone that could be leaned on; not someone who could be taken advantage of or fixed up. 

The blond slowly moved them to his bed until the backs of Rudolph’s knees hit the edge. He pushed him gently to sit on the bed so that he could seat himself on his vampire’s lap, straddling his hips. The dark haired boy ran his hands up Tony’s thighs until they rested at his waist, holding him steady as the blond pulled him in by the lapels of his jacket. 

Tony continued to press his lips to Rudolph’s, breaking away to pepper kisses over his boyfriend’s face until the pale boy giggled under him. They broke away when a new song began on the record, making them both sigh happily at the soft rhythm. 

“What’s that playing?” the vampire inquired, staring at the record player. 

“It’s a man named Elvis Presley. He was a famous singer a while ago.”

“Oh,” he said, looking back at the blond teenager who was wrapping his arms around his neck. His eyes twinkled as he smiled up at him. “I like it.”

Tony giggled, tilting his head to kiss him again. 

_ But I… _

The soft rhythm made Tony blush, and he tightened his arms around the boy. 

_ ...can’t… help… _

Rudolph sucked up the last of the blood that had trickled down the blond’s lips. Tony smiled and hummed into his mouth. 

_ ...falling in love… _

The vampire gasped into Tony and grasped the teenager’s hips tighter as he realized what the lyrics were. He deepened the kiss, his cool tongue sliding into the blond boy’s mouth. 

_ ...with… _

Tony smiled into Rudolph’s lips, and he broke away to look into the boy’s soft maroon eyes, his pupils large with desire. He felt as if Rudolph had just realized what they each felt for each other, but the blond didn’t want to assume they were ready to move so fast. So he just tilted his head back to the vampire’s and slotted their mouths together again. 

_ ...you. _

_ You. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, _ he thought. _ I love you. _

As the song slowed to an end, Rudolph leaned back so that the blond fell forward, yelping in surprise. He chuckled, craning his neck up so he could steal a few more hot kisses from Tony before the two grew tired, rolling away from each other so they could snuggle beneath the covers. 

Rudolph was silent as they settled in, and turned to Tony, gazing sadly into his pale blue eyes. He looked away quickly when the blond smiled at him, blushing harshly. Tony realized this, and placed a hand on his ethereal gray cheek. “What’s bothering you, baby?” he whispered. Rudolph looked up sharply with glassy eyes. 

“Tony… do- do you think I’m a monster?”

The blond’s mouth popped open and he tilted Rudolph’s head up so he would meet his gaze when he avoided Tony’s eyes again. “Rudy… who _ ever _made you think such a thing?”

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, burying his face under the covers. “I- I guess… living for this long with my father telling the clan that humans were not to be trusted and that they’d kill us… I sort of put two and two together.

“We- we’re not the ones trying to kill them- we’re the ones hiding and making sure they aren’t scared of us- we- we used to be… humans… so long ago,” Tony pressed a soft kiss to the vampire’s nose before he took a shaky breath and continued. “I remember what it felt like to not be in constant fear for my life. I remember being_ normal _ … I’m so _ tired_, Tony… tired of it all.”

Rudolph let himself be surrounded in the human’s warm arms. He leaned against Tony’s forehead, a tear slipping past his eyelashes. The blond wiped it away quickly, not wanting to see his boyfriend so upset. 

“Rudolph,” he whispered. “You are _ not _a monster. You were never a monster in my eyes, and you never will be. Besides, I think I’m the only person, thing, or supernatural being you should be worried about what they care,” he joked, earning a small giggle from his vampire. “You’ve gotta deal with me for a while now, ya know. Me being your boyfriend and all.” 

“Oh, shut up,” Rudolph quipped, grinning as he leaned in again to bring his soft lips to the blond’s. He parted, looking into Tony’s bright blue eyes and, smiling, moved his hand to rest on the boy’s hip. “Can I keep you forever?”

“You can have me as long as you’d like, baby,” he whispered, laying his chin atop his boyfriend’s head as the pale teenager rested his on Tony’s chest. Rudolph hummed sleepily with the corners of his mouth turning up slightly; he knew Tony was his. 

“‘Morning,” he murmured into the blond, sliding his hand down subtly to gently cup Tony’s rear. The boy could nearly feel a sly smirk play across the vampire’s lips against his chest. 

“Sleep well, Rudy,” Tony sighed, clutching his boyfriend as the couple drifted off to sleep. He was so happy that he finally had someone he could trust and care for. He had someone who would trust and care for him. Rudolph was someone who made him feel so light, so carefree. All Tony had wanted to do was go home when he was adopted by Rookery. Now he understood that wherever he was with the people he loved, he knew he was home. 

_ “I love you,” _he said in a barely audible whisper, knowing that Rudolph was already asleep. He was home. He had been home for a while now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you wanna follow my insta...—> @lamarie.art (• ◡•)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-read warning: this chapter has nsfw content, and there will be chapters containing it later on. Please continue with that in mind.

Rudolph and Tony had been dating for a while already, and they were enjoying it immensely; exchanging long, passionate kisses when Rudolph visited, flying to different places to share intimate moments alone. They hadn’t gone further than tentative touches and accidental brushes of hips, but the two were happy taking it slow, growing closer each day. 

One night, Rudolph had come to Tony’s house with a bouquet of roses for him. “Happy two month anniversary!” 

The blond had nearly broken down with love and shock at the same time when he presented them to him. He never got Rudolph anything nice, and he felt awful. “I didn’t- I didn’t know- and I didn’t get you anything,” he wailed in despair, almost tearing up at being so thoughtless. 

“Relax,” the vampire said, snaking an arm around Tony’s waist. “I saw them and thought of you, so it sort of helped that today just so happens to be two months since you became my boyfriend.” 

“Oh,” he murmured into the bouquet. “I- well- thank you. Thank you so much for the flowers. They’re gorgeous.”

“Of course, baby,” Rudolph said, pulling Tony closer to him. The blond had been staring at the deep rogue roses awhile when he heard Rudolph clear his throat pointedly. He leaned in for a kiss, resulting in Tony letting the flowers drop to the floor as he reached up to eagerly meet the immortal’s lips. They lay there forgotten on the carpet while the two boys pressed up against each other, backing up to the wall. 

Tony hit the rough plaster, the pale teenager capturing his lips hungrily. The blond groaned as Rudolph moved to his jaw, trailing hot kisses along it. He took a handful of the boy’s ink-black hair, throwing his own head back. 

“Oh!” he gasped when the vampire sucked a careful hickey onto his neck, scraping his fangs against the sun-kissed skin. Tony bucked up into Rudolph’s erection, his own meeting the vampire’s. Stars burst from behind Tony’s eyelids as their hips rolled together, all the breath escaping his lungs. The two cried out, shuddering against one another. They stopped, panting and gazing into each other’s eyes longingly. 

“Bed, I think,” the dark haired teenager rumbled. Tony nodded vigorously, wrapping his arms around Rudolph as he flew them to the bed. He laid the blond down on the duvet, climbing over him. He hovered above the boy, smiling down at Tony with hands positioned on either side of his head. 

They met for a long, passionate kiss, drawing it out. Tony sucked Rudolph’s bottom lip as they broke apart, bringing up a near growl from the vampire. 

Then his boyfriend was moving a hand to Tony’s waist. He looked into his eyes for permission as he slid his hand underneath the boy’s white t-shirt. When Tony kept kissing Rudolph, he took that as a yes, pulling up the fabric and running his cold fingers across his stomach. 

“Is this okay?” he mumbled into the blond teenager’s mouth as he swirled his tongue around inside. Tony’s only response was a loud groan as he felt the tingle of cool skin meeting warm. 

So Rudolph continued to pull his shirt up and over his head. He discarded it, throwing the clothing off somewhere in the small room. Rudolph quickly shrugged off his jacket and pulled his own shirt off in one swift motion. 

The two sat in silence for a moment, their chests heaving as they gawked at the other boy’s bare upper body. 

“Oh, you’re gorgeous,” Rudolph whispered, leaning down to softly plant a kiss on Tony’s collarbone as he leapt off the bed. He pulled off his jeans rapidly, turning around to gaze down at the teenager. But his smile faltered when he saw Tony crossing his arms over his chest, hiding his body from the vampire, from anyone who might see his detestable form. “No… no, darling. Don’t do that,” he murmured, crawling back onto the bed to meet Tony’s lips. 

“You are the most beautiful,” he kissed the boy’s arms. “Amazing,” he kissed his shoulders. “Charming,” he kissed his stomach, earning a slight giggle. “_ Sexy _,” he kissed his neck hungrily and Tony snorted, grinning. “Most perfect boyfriend. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Tony Thompson. You are my knight in shining armor; my rescuer in a storm; my prince-”

“Alright! I understand!” Tony continued to giggle, pushing at Rudolph’s shoulder playfully. He had uncrossed his arms and moved them to wrap around the vampire’s waist, pulling him in. 

“Let me adore you,” he growled, nibbling at Tony’s neck. The blond nodded furiously, moaning softly beneath him. Rudolph pulled back and grinned. Then, leaning forward, he kissed Tony endearingly on the lips once more. 

The blond giggled again, allowing their mouths to meet over and over. He felt as though sparks went off when the vampire brought his hips down, their bulges crashing together. They each groaned loudly, too far gone to be embarrassed. Rudolph panted against Tony’s lips, hooking a slender finger under the waistband of his pants. He looked to the blond for permission, and the boy nodded, desperate for Rudolph to grind into him one more time. 

The vampire slid his jeans off slowly, caressing each new area of skin he uncovered. Then he threw them onto the floor, diving back to steal another kiss from his boyfriend. Their mouths moved together hotly, sliding lips and tongues between them. 

Tony ran a hand down Rudolph’s side. He brushed a thumb across each rib, feeling the vampire shudder above him. Then he turned on his side, flipping his boyfriend over on the bed. Rudolph yelped, but chuckled heartily once the blond was caging him in, resting his arms on either side of his head. Tony smirked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Rudolph’s ear as he pressed a steady kiss at the corner of his mouth. 

The boy crawled down Rudolph’s body, peering up at him through heavy eyelashes. He ran his fingers across his stomach, stroking along dense black pubic hair. Tony brought his hand to the vampire’s thick erection, cupping it as Rudolph cried out, his hands flying out to grip the teenager’s shoulders. Tony continued to stroke him through the cloth, peppering kisses down Rudolph’s neck. The immortal moaned loudly when Tony sucked a deep scarlet hickey onto his neck, tightening his grip on the blond. He threw his head back, panting shallowly as he craned his neck to press a heated kiss to Tony’s lips. He moaned into Tony’s mouth when the human thrust his tongue past the boy’s lips, bucking upwards into his hand. Tony grinned into the kiss, flicking his thumb around Rudolph’s hardness that caused the immortal to shiver and break away, calling Tony’s name. 

“That’s it, Rudy,” he whispered into the vampire’s ear. “You’re doing amazing. It’s okay.”

“Oh, I'm going to- oh… Tony… I- I- _ Tony,_” he clenched the teenager’s shoulders, his nails digging into his skin as he shut his eyes tightly, kisses still being placed haphazardly over his body. The blond kept running his fingers along Rudolph’s clothed erection, sending him gasping into a sudden orgasm. He shuddered, pulling Tony tightly to him. He pressed himself flush against the vampire’s stomach, kissing Rudolph’s chest softly as he felt it rise and fall in the aftermath. 

The blond teenager moved to lie propped up on one elbow by his side, gazing down at Rudolph. Tony leaned down so he could kiss his forehead tenderly. The two lay there for a few minutes, panting and smiling, too out of breath to say a word.

Rudolph beamed at Tony, causing him to flush under his gaze as his boyfriend reached up to cup his cheek. He slid his hand along his face, memorizing every curve and edge of him. Tony grinned as the vampire toyed with a loose strand of his golden blond hair, causing the teenager above to breathe out a laugh, beaming at his adorable boyfriend. They only stared at one another, sure of what they felt; unsure if the other felt that way, too. 

At last Rudolph craned his head up and kissed Tony sweetly. He then rolled over, hovering above Tony once more. The blond chuckled, wrapping an arm around the dark haired boy’s bare shoulders. His hands ran down Tony’s chest, and he paused just above his deep garnet briefs. “Can I-?”

“Absolutely,” he breathed, his eyes flicking to Rudolph’s already growing bulge in his own underwear. The vampire tentatively cupped his erection, and Tony immediately felt shooting pleasure come in waves throughout his body. He breathed in sharply and tightened his hold on Rudolph. Then he felt the vampire hesitate and let go. He hooked a finger underneath the waistband, looking up to Tony apprehensively.

“Touch me,” he gasped, “_touch me, Rudy,_” and Rudolph chuckled deeply, sliding the undergarments past his hips, off his body. The vampire sat up, taking in the beautiful naked teenager lying on the bed. Tony smirked, but visibly flushed with embarrassment, going to fold his arms again. Rudolph stopped him though, pinning his arms over his head. He kissed the boy so deeply he saw stars, moaning into his boyfriend’s mouth. 

“God, Tony,” Rudolph groaned euphorically. “You’re so perfect.”

He dragged his sharp fangs along Tony’s collarbone, pricking him lightly before pulling back to remove his own underwear. Tony’s jaw dropped when he came to stare at the gorgeous vampire, completely, totally naked in his bedroom, in the room Rookery had set foot in before, in the bed that Rookery had sat upon. Tony felt so _ good _for once. He felt like the world was his and Rudolph’s alone; that Rudolph was his alone, which he knew was true. He was Rudolph’s, and Rudolph was his. They had each other, and there was no turning back. Tony loved him so much, and he wanted to tell Rudolph every day. Even if he was afraid it was too soon to say that. 

“Oh, _ Rudolph, _ ” he sighed, placing a warm hand on the boy’s cheek. _ I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. _

The vampire smiled brightly. He dipped down, fusing his mouth with Tony’s, wrapping a cool hand around his length. The blond moaned loudly into his vampire’s mouth, allowing him to slide his tongue into it, causing him to moan even louder.

He began to pump his cock in his hand, shaking the tiny bed. He stroked a thumb over the slit gently, brushing over beads of precome leaking out. The two teenagers broke their kiss as they groaned aloud together. Then Rudolph took up his own erection, slotting it next to Tony’s. He held the two lengths in his hand, and began to roll them together. Tony cried out, throwing his hands down by his side, clutching the sheets. The vampire developed a rhythm, pumping their cocks against each other. 

“I- Rudy-” he gasped, a heavy build up forming in him. Tony clutched the sheets tighter, his knuckles turning white. 

“That’s it,” Rudolph practically moaned against Tony’s neck, pressing hot kisses along his skin. He pumped a few more times, grinding roughly against the blond. “Oh _ yes, _darling, I’m- I’m so close.”

The vampire rolled their lengths together again, Tony’s hips snapping up uncontrollably as he cried out his boyfriend’s name. 

“Rudy- oh, Rud-” Tony shut his eyes tightly, feeling himself tip over the edge. A surge of come spilled over the boys as they both came simultaneously, shuddering. The liquid dripped hot and sticky against their skin, and Rudolph planted a long, careful kiss onto the blond’s mouth. 

He sucked his bottom lip softly before collapsing to the mortal’s side. He panted against Tony’s cheek, pressing a delicate kiss to it. Rudolph beamed at the mortal and threw an arm across his rapidly rising and falling chest. The blond turned his head to the side, kissing Rudolph’s dark hair quietly as he tried to regain his breath. He placed a steady hand on the vampire’s arm, stroking it gently with his thumb. The two basked in the afterglow, lying still and silent on top of the duvet. 

Eventually the teenagers got cold, shivering slightly. Tony got up and cleaned both of them off with a wet rag from the bathroom before sliding under the covers with his boyfriend. The blond teenager faced him, grinning from ear to ear. He brought his lips to Rudolph’s, holding himself there for a few moments before parting with a wet pop. 

“You’re so lovely, Tony,” Rudolph hummed in his ear, sighing when the boy placed his hand on the vampire’s hip, tenderly running his fingers up and down his thigh. “I wish I could count every freckle on your face,” he whispered, causing the boy to blush bashfully and giggle as he slid his hand up Rudolph’s back, making him shiver. The vampire caressed Tony’s cheek unhurriedly. His eyelashes fluttered slightly as he looked into the blond’s eyes. His gaze flicked to his mouth momentarily before he leaned in, pressing a kiss to his lips. The couple parted after a moment with both boys smiling. They pressed their foreheads together, breathing softly as they snuggled closer on the bed. 

When they had lain there for a while, smiling and kissing gently, Rudolph parted their lips to reach out and place a cool hand on the back of the blond’s neck. He began stroking his jawline with his thumb. “Tell me about your parents,” he whispered. 

Tony blinked at his boyfriend for a few moments. 

Ever since he had met Rudolph and gotten rid of Rookery, he hadn’t thought about his parents. Looking back on it, he didn’t remember them very much anyway. He let out a shaky breath and kissed Rudolph once more, shuffling even closer in his arms. 

“You don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want to- I was just curious-” he began, but Tony shook his head. 

“It’s alright. I- I should probably talk to someone about it anyway,” he felt a timid hand reach to his hair and start to stroke delicately through it. 

“They- they died in a car accident a long, _ long _ time ago. I was in the back seat when it happened… I was only three years old. I’ve had nightmares ever since about them; always the same memory.”

“Oh, Tony,” he cooed, brushing a stray hair behind his ear. He began to trace designs on the vampire’s back, smiling at the feeling of the teenager’s icy skin under his touch.

“And then _ that man _ took me in- I trusted him- and he was so awful to me… I… I hated him so much. He- I would get, I don’t know… _ excited _when he came home and bragged about the vampire he had just killed… because that meant he- he wouldn’t be beating me that night. I- I was always scared silent that he’d hurt me or he would...”

“Oh darling,” the vampire murmured. He pecked the corner of his mouth silently. “C- couldn’t you have talked to the police… or something like that?”

“He decided that he owned me… he would have hunted me down if I ran away or if someone found out.”

Rudolph made an understanding sound, pulling him in further. 

“I… I don’t remember them, my parents,” he whispered as tears began to well up in his eyes. “I don’t even remember what they looked like. When- whenever I try to think of them, all the memories blur except for the one of that _ awful _day when they… they-” 

“Hey,” Rudolph said when hot tears began to fall down his cheeks. “Hey,” he tilted Tony’s head up. “You’ve got me, don’t you?”

The blond nodded, sniffling softly. 

Rudolph kissed Tony’s cheek with a feather brush of lips. “And are you happy now?”

“With you, yeah.”

“Then I’d say that with me, you’ve got nothing to worry about, darling.”

The teenager blushed and laid his head back onto his boyfriend’s chest. “You’re the best person I’ve ever met,” he murmured, pressing a delicate kiss to the pale boy’s skin. “I bet they would have _ loved _ you.”

“I know,” he replied, earning a sharp but amused jab from Tony. “I bet they would be so proud of you if they were here,” he snuggled far into his arms and sighed happily as his eyes began to droop. “Good day, Tony,” he heard a smooth baritone voice mumble. 

“Good day,” he said. Tony fell asleep quickly, only thinking about the vampire who held him in his arms. He felt so safe with Rudolph. He was protected and cared for; like no other person had done before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is staying safe during these uncertain times♡


	17. Chapter 17

Tony awoke with a flutter of eyelids, feeling the soft breath of the vampire beside him on his cheeks. He looked up to his boyfriend and felt himself flush. He was so wonderfully lucky to have everything he had ever wanted right there, lying with him in his bed. The blond teenager sighed happily, tightening his hold on the boy. He smiled when he heard a sleepy murmur escape the vampire’s lips, feeling the immortal stroke his back unconsciously.

The two were pressed flush together, their morning hardnesses brushing shamelessly against each other. Rudolph moaned softly in his sleep, and with a flutter of his eyelashes, his eyes popped open, with Tony in his sights. His cheeks glowed and he immediately leaned in to kiss his boyfriend. 

“Mhm… ‘evening, love,” the vampire whispered against his lips. 

“Good evening,” Tony replied, grinning as he kissed him again. 

Tony skipped school that day to spend it in bed with Rudolph. They alternated between drifting back to sleep and exchanging slow, longing kisses. 

As night dawned, they slipped on their underwear and roamed downstairs hand in hand. The two sat down on the old murky brown couch in the living room and flicked on the TV. Rudolph had crawled into Tony’s arms, breathing gently against his bare skin. 

They lay there, whispering sweet words as Tony pressed kisses to the vampire’s shoulder while the crackling noise of the television faded into the background. Eventually the blond fell back asleep, warmed by the vampire in his arms. 

Tony later awoke to a presence leaving him, and he reached out to try and grab hold of the vampire who was flying away. 

“Rudy, why are you leaving?” he whispered. He heard the boy sigh as he leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, covering Tony with a heavy blanket. 

“Darling, I’ve got to go. Anna is up there calling from your window. She  _ must have  _ followed me here once, so she probably figured out I come here when I leave the castle. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise you.”

He kissed Tony again, sucking at his bottom lip softly before flying up the stairs and out of view. The blond sighed into the cloth, wishing he could still smell Rudolph, that he could touch him; that he didn’t have to be away from him for so long. He rolled off the couch, trudging sleepily up the stairs. He entered his room in time to see his boyfriend close the window, appearing to be deep in argument with his sister. He smiled to himself as he walked up to the window, watching the vampire fly off into the night. 

Tony hadn’t mentioned that today was his eighteenth birthday. He didn’t care though. He hadn’t celebrated his birthday in years anyway, and Tony had already started it off perfectly with the boy he loved. And that was enough. 

The teenager gazed out the window even after Rudolph had disappeared from view, but eventually went back to his bed. As his head hit the pillow, he caught a whiff of Rudolph’s earthy scent. He could even feel the lingering warmth where his body had lain mere hours before. “_I’m so fucked_,” Tony mumbled into the bedsheets that smelled like his boyfriend’s shampoo. He fell asleep quickly, smiling into the blankets. He was so helplessly in love with Rudolph. 

Tony had even awoken with a wide grin on his face, still remembering the vampire of his affections. It took him a few seconds to realize that his phone had been ringing. 

The blond teenager snatched it up, accepting the call from his boyfriend. “Hey Rudy,” he said warmly. 

“‘Morning, love,” the vampire practically whispered into the phone. Tony’s eyebrows knit together.

“Uhm… are you alright? What are you calling about?”

“I… um, I’m fine… I… wanted to call and tell you that I won’t be coming back for a while.”

The boy’s heart plummeted heavily in his chest. He had only just seen him, and now he probably wouldn’t be back for so,  _ so long.  _ Oh,  _ oh.  _ What if he had done something to upset him? What if Rudolph didn’t want to come back? 

“I… was it something I did?” he asked after he realized the line had gone silent. 

Rudolph took in a sharp breath. “No! … Well… yes, I suppose. It’s not that I’m upset with you! But yes… it does have to do with something you did.”

“Huh?” 

The vampire let out a short laugh, but went quiet again. “I- Tony, do you remember the hickey you gave me last night?”

“Yeah,” he smiled, biting his lip as he recalled everything from the evening before. 

“Well,” he sighed through the phone. Tony could nearly hear the vampire run a hand through his ink-black hair. “I got caught.”

“You  _ what _ ?” he smirked. 

“You heard me perfectly,” Rudolph groused, “I was flying home and my parents met me at the door. I hadn’t been back in a few days, you know.”

“Sorry.” 

“No… it’s- it’s fine. I love being with you,” Tony smiled, and Rudolph went silent again; he  _ knew  _ the vampire was smiling on the other end. “They… mother saw it first, and she tried to rub it off, but  _ Frederick  _ knew what it was. He’s grounded me since he thinks I’ve been consorting with other vampires. Thankfully, he doesn’t suspect that I’ve been with you the entire time.”

“Oh Rudolph,” Tony chuckled. “Well, I’ll just have to give you a few more next time.”

“Don’t you dare!” he snapped, but Tony could tell he wasn’t being completely serious. Suddenly, there was a sharp knocking on the door on Rudolph’s end of the phone. “Sorry love, I must go. I’ll visit you as soon as Father lets me go outside again.”

“See ya, baby,” before Rudolph hung up, he heard the vampire’s door open, and Gregory’s voice rang loud and clear.

“SO LET’S SEE THAT HICK-”

Tony snorted when the call ended abruptly. He fell asleep excited for when his boyfriend would be coming back again.


	18. Chapter 18

“Hello, mortal,” a deep voice from behind Tony made him jump in his seat at the kitchen table. 

“Don’t scare me like that!” he grinned, pulling Rudolph down by his shirt to kiss him thoroughly. The vampire wrapped him in a tight hug, kissing his cheek. He hadn’t been back for nearly two weeks, and Tony had missed him terribly. It wasn’t the same without his vampire.

“You wouldn’t believe how much I’ve longed to see you,” he murmured into the blond’s ear. Then Rudolph looked down at the mass of papers spread out across the table. “What’s this?”

Tony glanced at the papers and sighed. “Taxes.”

“Sorry?”

“I have to pay them so I can keep living in this house. That’s why I have a job and everything. It’s not fun… but- but this is how I’m gonna get through the next few years. Until I get a better job someplace else, of course.”

Rudolph was leaning over the table, staring wide-eyed at the array of bills. His eyes darted about, his brow furrowed like he was thinking long and hard about something. 

“Rudy?”

He said nothing for a moment before he straightened, clearing his throat. “You can move in with me, if you want.”

Tony’s throat tightened as he looked up at the boy, who smiled down at him softly.

“You… you’d do that… for me?”

“Of course. I  _ am  _ your boyfriend after all. Besides,” he gestured to the duct-taped door they each had attempted to fix after Rookery busted it down, “that thing has been broken for ages. It’s making this house so  _ bloody  _ cold. And frankly darling, this place is practically in shambles. That man must have gotten it for a very low price.”

Tony giggled and stood up, wrapping his arms around the dark haired boy. “You really want me to do that?” 

“As soon as possible,” he whispered against his hair, placing a hand on the back of his head. Tony kissed Rudolph’s neck, and the vampire chuckled. “So is that a yes?”

“Yes,” he responded, lifting his head to bring his lips to the teenager’s. Rudolph smiled into the kiss, moving his lips languidly in time with Tony’s. The blond moaned when Rudolph swept the papers off the table, lifting him onto the surface. He hooked his legs around his waist and rocked into the vampire. Tony threw his head back as his boyfriend licked a thin trail from his collarbone up to his jaw. He couldn’t help but think about how insanely lucky he was to have met such a vampire as this. 

＊＊＊

It took about a month for Tony to finish high school. He had gotten an A in every subject and graduated top of his senior class. Rudolph had been at the ceremony, holding a bouquet of lilies out for him when the blond had made his way through the crowd of cheering peers. Throwing his arms around Rudolph, he had kissed him deeply, causing the teenager to gasp into his mouth at their intimacy in public. A few classmates had whistled, which made Rudolph grin into the kiss, his fangs pricking Tony’s lips. But he didn’t care. Rudolph didn’t seem to notice either. 

The blond dragged Rudolph to a few graduation parties that evening, with him ever present by his side, Tony’s arm wrapped around his boyfriend’s waist the entire night. 

Tony had woken up with the vampire pressed flush against his bare skin, a sweet taste lingering in his mouth. He smiled and pulled his vampire closer, knowing he had nowhere to be now; he could stay with him for as long as he wanted. 

They eventually rolled out of bed later that afternoon, the blond clamoring downstairs with an armful of boxes to see Rudolph making breakfast. 

It had been fairly easy to sell the house; Tony wasn’t asking for much, what with Rookery’s money, his own, and the fact that he’d be living with Rudolph now for free. 

The two packed up a small blue car Tony had purchased with some of Rookery’s money and drove off towards the Sackville-Bagg castle, with Rudolph in the backseat, covered from the sun by a thick blanket. The blond teenager realized when they entered the large stone building that it was a bed and breakfast; owned by a sweet old  _ human _ couple. They understood why Tony needed to be hidden from the vampires, and were nice enough to bring him meals each day. They were just excited to be serving a mortal guest for once. It was easy for Tony to bring up all the boxes of his belongings; he did it during the day while every vampire was asleep. He didn’t have very much anyway: a box full of books, another of clothes, and a few more with tools, blankets, and his keepsakes from beneath the floorboards under his bed. 

Rudolph had been awake the entire time, watching intently as Tony finished unpacking his things. When he had placed the last few items of clothing in a set of drawers, the vampire flew up behind him and snaked an arm around his waist. The blond giggled and leaned his head back against his boyfriend as the immortal laid his head on his shoulder. Tony felt a soft kiss on his neck, and he sighed, turning to fold his arms around the vampire. Their lips met softly, shifting together with ease. Rudolph moaned as Tony bit his bottom lip and pressed his tongue into the dark haired boy's mouth. 

The immortal pushed the blond so his back hit the dresser, placing his hands on Tony’s hips. Tony ran a hand through his black spikes, tightening his grip and moaning when he felt a light prick of fangs. Tony had dipped his head down to kiss the teenager’s neck when suddenly he felt Rudolph push him away. 

“Wait- I- wait a second,” he said, cupping Tony’s cheeks in his cool hands. Tony smiled softly and turned his head to place a delicate kiss on Rudolph’s open palm, provoking a stuttered breath to escape his boyfriend’s lips. Tony looked up into deep maroon eyes that glinted even in the low light. Rudolph pressed his forehead against the mortal’s, breathing gently against his lips. “Tony, I—” he inhaled deeply and stroked his thumb along his jaw. 

“It’s alright. You can tell me anything,” Tony whispered. Rudolph continued to run his hands along the blond’s cheeks, causing him to blush. 

“Ever since the day I met you, Tony, I’ve known you were the one I wanted,” he began, drawing a shaky breath until the boy calmed him by wrapping an arm around his waist. “I have been with a few vampires romantically over the centuries, but you are the one that has truly been there for me, and you have been the one that has cared for me like no others have done before… not even my family. 

“Darling, I know I’m not supposed to feel  _ love,  _ but Tony Thompson,” he paused, looking at him through thick lashes. He brought his hands downward to hold Tony’s and gave them a quick squeeze before continuing, Tony’s heart beating out of his chest. “I love you.”

Those three words came like a wave of cool relief passing over the blond’s body.  _ The vampire loved him.  _ ** _His _ ** _ vampire loved  _ ** _him. _ ** Tony bit his lip, trying not to smile so widely, but failing miserably in the process. He wasn’t complaining however, because Rudolph blushed deeply at the sight of his expression, his fangs peeking out past his upturned lips. The blond teenager chuckled and leaned his forehead against Rudolph’s. He brought his mouth to the vampire’s, letting go of his hands to wrap his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders again. When they parted, Rudolph was panting against his lips. 

“Again.”

“Hmm?” 

“Say it again,” Tony whispered, his voice crumbling when he caught the glimmer of-  _ was it relief?  _ in Rudolph’s dancing eyes. 

“I love you.”

“Again.”

“I love you.”

The blond kissed Rudolph so intensely that he coaxed a moan from deep in the immortal’s throat. “Again,” he whispered, pulling away. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears that yearned to spill down his glowing cheeks. 

“Tony Thompson, I love you with all my heart, soul, body, and mind. You are what makes me complete. I can’t go a day without thinking of you, and I haven’t stopped since the first night I laid my eyes on you. I owe you so much more than my affection. You saved me.”

“Oh, Rudy,” he was grinning like an idiot now. “What does anyone think they know about _your _feelings anyway? Your clan couldn’t even tell me dressed as a flightless vampire apart from a mortal,” Tony murmured, hugging him even more tightly as the pale boy chuckled into his golden hair. He cocked his head up to gaze at Rudolph. “I love you.”

A weight felt like it had been lifted off his shoulders. He wanted to say it again. So he did. 

“I love you,” he said, kissing Rudolph. “I love you,” he said, hooking his legs around the vampire’s waist as he was carried towards the bed. “I love you, I love you,  _ I love you _ ,” he groaned between delicate kisses. Rudolph was smiling so brilliantly at this, running hands through his golden hair as their lips met over and over again, pausing only for breath. 

Tony yelped as the vampire rushed him to their bed. Landing softly on the duvet, Tony chuckled before he craned his neck up to meet his boyfriend’s lips. At the first press of tongues, the blond bucked up into him, both groaning loudly at the contact of their bulges. 

Tony covered his mouth, snapping his head anxiously to the door, but Rudolph immediately turned the blond’s head back to deep maroon eyes. 

“There’s no one else sleeping in this wing of the castle,” he brought his mouth to Tony’s ear. “You can scream as loud as you want.”

Tony smirked and rolled up into his boyfriend’s erection once more, making Rudolph moan euphorically. The blond teenager chuckled as he wrapped his arms tightly around his vampire’s neck. He felt icy hands slip under his sweatshirt, running along his ribs. Tony shivered with anticipation, knowing this was going to be so much more now that they knew one another’s true feelings. “More,” was all that it took for Rudolph to let out a throaty growl and tear himself away from Tony, promising him everything and anything as he shrugged out of his jacket. The two hastily worked off their clothes, each pulling haphazardly at the other’s garments. When they were both naked, Rudolph reached into the drawer of the bedside table and pulled out a tiny bottle of lube. Tony raised his eyebrows at the vampire, who flushed a beautiful lilac. He broke into a grin and nodded, cupping his cheeks in his hands. He grazed over smooth pale skin with his thumbs and brought Rudolph’s face to his. 

They slotted their lips together, their tongues intertwining hotly. Rudolph pulled away slightly from the blond to squeeze a small amount of the liquid onto his fingers, rubbing it between them. He watched Tony nod his head again, and reached down to his hole. He played at the entrance, teasing at the boy’s mouth while he did so, licking across his bottom lip. Tony whimpered and snapped his hips up at the playful contact. 

“Rudolph!” he cried, “do it _ . Please. _ ”

The vampire grinned into a kiss he planted on his mouth. Tony placed both his hands at the back of Rudolph’s neck, pulling enticingly at the hair curling at the nape as he squirmed with delight. Rudolph pressed a slender finger into his hole, capturing a loud moan that came from deep in the blond’s throat. Just one finger inside of Tony felt incredible; it was hard for Tony to imagine Rudolph’s cock inside him would feel.  _ It must feel like heaven.  _

“Oh darling, that’s it,” Rudolph whispered. He entered another lubed finger and stretched at the tight hole, with Tony practically vibrating beneath him. He moaned with every shift of cool fingers, digging his nails into the dark haired teenager’s skin when he entered a third digit. He cried out as Rudolph feathered his prostate, and he bucked up into the vampire’s erection. 

“Rudy,” he nearly growled. “Just… just  _ fuck me. Please. _ ”

Rudolph smiled mischievously, his chest quaking with silent laughter as he slid his fingers out with ease and spread lube onto his cock. Tony felt his own length surge with interest as he watched Rudolph, biting his lip as his gaze met the vampire’s. He hovered above the blond haired teenager again, lining his cock up to Tony’s entrance, one hand on his knee directing Tony to spread his legs. 

“Oh, you’re gorgeous, baby,” he murmured, kissing the inside of the boy’s thigh. Before beginning, however, he paused and looked into the blond’s sky blue eyes. “If you don’t want me to do this, just say so. I’ll stop immediately, all you have to do is tell me.”

Tony surged upward to face Rudolph and pulled him close, kissing the immortal roughly. He sucked at his boyfriend’s bottom lip as he pulled away with a wet pop, watching the boy above him pant lightly from it. “I want you so bad, Rudolph. What part of ‘just fuck me’ did you not understand?”

Rudolph snorted and kissed Tony another time before pushing him back down to lie on the bed. “Alright,” he whispered, spreading the blond’s knees apart again. “You can have anything from me, you know… if you asked for the world, you know I’d give it to you.”

Rudolph held himself over Tony and leaned in to whisper into his ear, “ _ I could give you the world. _ ” 

Tony sighed happily and brought his lips to his vampire’s once more. He could taste the sweet earthiness of him and he smiled, stunned by how amazing his boyfriend was; how willing he was to give anything for a simple human. 

Rudolph pulled back and aligned his cock with Tony’s entrance. After a beat of silence he slid in with ease, both teenagers moaning loudly as he sunk into the blond. Tony squeezed his eyes shut, throwing out his arms to grasp at the vampire’s back.  _ It really did feel like heaven.  _ Tony had expected it to hurt. After all, this was his first time; but it was breathtaking. Rudolph was so gentle inside of Tony, allowing the teenager beneath him to shift and adjust against his length as he pressed kiss after kiss to his face. He waited until Tony was relaxed around him and comfortable until he continued, making sure no harm came to his human. Once Rudolph had completely entered, he placed his hands on either side of the mortal, leaning in close to begin thrusting. With his length nearly sliding out of Tony’s hole, he rocked back in. The blond cried out and brought his knees up. Rudolph smirked and thrust again, being met by another euphoric sound. Tony peeped open his eyes to see Rudolph gazing at him, an undeniable hunger in his eyes. He bent down to press a kiss to the blond’s collarbone, moaning into his tanned skin when he thrust once more. 

Rudolph nipped at his skin, licking at the small mark he created. A bashful smile stretched across his lips before he brought his face close to Tony, rocking into him and groaning at the intoxicating feeling of the tan boy tensing around him. 

The vampire developed a rhythm quickly, pushing in and out of Tony with a steady force. The blond hooked his legs around Rudolph’s lower back as he began to slam into him, small gasps escaping the vampire as he could feel himself nearing the edge. “I love you, Tony, oh god, I- I—”

The blond practically screamed when he hit his prostate, precome spilling out of his own hardness, and Rudolph saw this, taking him in his hand. “Rudy, baby- I- please don’t stop- ah!” 

Tony dug his fingernails into the vampire’s porcelain skin, feeling the boy’s cool hands pump his cock along with the rhythmic thrusts. 

“Oh- I love you, I- ah! I love- you- so much,” the blond rambled, a familiar feeling beginning to build up. Tony found himself meeting Rudolph’s thrusts, craving more, craving nothing, craving everything. He wanted the closeness to stay; he wanted to be filled completely for as long as he could, filled with the boy he loved. 

Rudolph began sucking at another faded hickey on Tony’s neck. He squeezed his eyes shut and his mouth popped open, seeing stars as his boyfriend continued to push into him. 

Rudolph quickened the pace, the erratic speed only causing Tony to cling to the vampire tighter, saying his name over and over, which pushed the immortal over the edge. 

He cried out and immediately relaxed, leaning into Tony furthermore as the blond felt a wave of hot liquid flow through him. Tony followed a few moments later, groaning as come spilled onto Rudolph’s hand. Looking up into maroon eyes, he watched as the vampire lapped up the liquid on his hands while keeping his eyes locked on the mortal. He glanced away, feeling a hot, aroused blush creep up his neck. 

Tony couldn’t help but look back to the panting vampire above him, who was flashing a wide, dopey grin that deepened Tony’s already dark blush. Rudolph’s arms quivered slightly from propping himself up and he dropped down to plant a deep, unhurried kiss onto the blond’s mouth. Tony whimpered and his legs around Rudolph’s waist trembled from their excursions. The vampire then thrust in one more time and pulled out, collapsing onto his side next to Tony. He placed a hand on the blond’s chest as he panted heavily. 

“I love you darling,” he said, leaning over to press a soft kiss to his cheek. Tony flushed like the first night he had seen the dark haired boy flying just outside his window. He was so head over heels in love with Rudolph; and he was glad that Rudolph felt the same.

“I love you too.”

The two eventually snuggled beneath the covers, pulling in close to each other. Tony kept his forehead pressed against the vampire’s sweaty chest and his arms wrapped around him tightly, never wanting to let go again. Rudolph stroked the boy’s hair softly, whispering sweet words against his head, making Tony blush continuously. They lay there, drifting off to sleep with ease, pressed flush together. 

Tony’s eyelids fluttered and he looked up at his vampire one last time before falling asleep, sighing happily to himself that he had met someone so utterly perfect. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They finally said the “L” word!!!!


	19. Chapter 19

Tony woke up to a shifting on the bed. Cool arms were wrapped around his waist, his back pressed flush against Rudolph’s front. He opened his eyes slowly and glanced over to see his pale boyfriend holding him. His face was resting against the back of his neck, the vampire’s breaths coming in slow and steady. 

The blond smiled at his sleeping boyfriend as he shifted backwards, further into his arms. He blushed when he felt Rudolph’s morning hardness brush against his rear, hearing a soft moan push past the immortal’s lips. 

Tony’s heart jumped when he heard an urgent knock at the door that woke Rudolph. He breathed in sharply and turned to the blond with wide, fearful eyes. _ They hadn’t bothered to lock the door. _

“I’m coming in, brother! You had better not be naked or something in there!” a shrill voice rang out. “Not that you would be,” she added, which made Tony snort, then cover his mouth for fear of the vampire on the other side hearing. He looked over at Rudolph, who was quite naked, as it happened. 

The vampire swatted the back of Tony’s head, then shoved him under the covers as the doorknob turned. Beneath the duvet, the blond began to panic, knowing that whoever had just entered the room would surely notice the body shaped lump beside Rudolph. 

“Anna!” Rudolph shouted, shifting in the bed to cover the mortal. “Why are you _ in _here? You know you shouldn’t be bothering me while I’m still asleep.”

“Apologies,” she said sarcastically, and Tony could almost _ hear _ her braid being tossed across her back. “Mother and father want you to come down to meet some old family friends that have just flown in from Romania… w-what… what’s _ that _?”

Tony’s heart leapt to his throat. He tried to remain as still as possible. “What’s what?” Rudolph tensed against the blond, his voice squeaking slightly. 

“That… that _ thing _behind you… behind your back.” 

“I… don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied with feigned confusion. 

“Oh, seriously, Rudolph! There’s obviously something… _ someone _ behind you! They’re under the blanket!”

“Really, Anna, if I were hiding someone beneath here, how dumb do you think I’d have to be?”

“I can see them breathing!”

Tony poked Rudolph sharply, hinting that Anna would not leave until she received an explanation. The vampire took notice and sighed, leaning protectively against the blond. “If you _must _know, I _have _been consorting with vampires from other clans like Father expected. And he’s awfully shy, so I wouldn’t make a huge fuss about this if I were you. _His_ _father _would be _very _unhappy if he heard that an irresponsible vampire like me was dating his son… it could lead to a _very _rough few decades. So if you’ll keep a secret, the clans will be happy, and I won’t tell our father how you were trying to get off with Tony Thompson at my birthday party. Are we clear, dear sister?”

The room went silent before Anna cleared her throat awkwardly, shuffling on the floor. “I… uhm, I’ll tell them you’ll be downstairs in ten minutes. You look like you could use some clothes.”

Tony heard the door slam and he peeked his head out of the covers before coming to wrap an arm around his vampire’s bare waist from behind. “I am _ quite _ shy,” Rudolph snickered as the blond teenager leaned in and pressed a kiss to his pale back. He ran a hand up his icy chest, hearing him moan underneath his touch. “I think I prefer you _ without _clothes, by the way,” he whispered into Rudolph’s ear, hearing a deep chuckle erupt in his throat. He smiled, but it quickly faded when something dawned on him. 

“Wait, did Anna try to kiss me that night when she was trying to…?”

Rudolph tensed and turned his head away, an embarrassed flush spreading up his neck. 

“Hey,” Tony flipped the vampire around to look at him, seeing the troubled expression on his face. 

“We… We weren't together yet… and it was my birthday. So I wanted to have the best night I could… spent with you. I made sure she never got that far with you, because I would have had an awful evening if you’d spent it kissing… her…”

Rudolph sank down into the mattress, folding his arms apprehensively against his chest. Tony made a soft _ oh _sound, and, pushing aside the heavy duvet, crawled over to straddle the vampire’s hips. He bent down, bringing his lips to Rudolph’s forehead. Rudolph let out a muffled gasp when the human’s mouth met his cold skin, running timid fingers along Tony’s arms. He held the pale boy’s face in between his hands, pressing their foreheads together. 

“I loved you then, and I love you now. If I ever found out I had done such a thing, then I would feel so terrible. I’m sorry that you had to do that; that you were worried you wouldn’t be mine. Please just know that I love you with all my heart, and that I will never be anyone else’s but yours.”

Rudolph was grinning widely. He grabbed the back of the blond’s neck and rushed their lips into a long, passionate kiss. The vampire broke away after a moment and, rolling out from under Tony, he slipped off the bed, grabbing his briefs. 

“I’m going to take a shower,” he said airily, pulling his underwear on and making his way to the door. Tony sighed and collapsed back onto his pillow as Rudolph disappeared from the room. He raked a finger through his hair, smelling Rudolph on the pillows, the blankets, all around him.

A throat cleared from the doorway and Tony turned his head to see his boyfriend smirking in the threshold. “I _ would _prefer it if you’d be able to join me, you know,” he purred. 

Tony grinned and threw back the covers. Rushing forwards, he laced his fingers between Rudolph’s and followed him across the hallway as soon as Rudolph made sure that it was clear. The vampire locked the bathroom door behind them and turned the shower knob. Letting his underwear fall to the floor, he pressed Tony against the door and crashed their mouths together. 

The blond teenager placed both hands on his vampire’s hips, running fingers over his cool skin. He nibbled at the immortal’s lip, evoking a soft moan from the back of his throat. They continued to kiss as each boy stepped into the shower, Tony pressing Rudolph up against the cold tile. The steaming spray drenched them both, and they smiled into each other’s lips. Tony broke away and sucked a brand new hickey onto his neck, causing the vampire to groan loudly. He thrust his hips forward into the blond, who groaned as well. 

Then Tony sank down to his knees, flicking his soaking wet hair out of his eyes. Bringing his face mere inches from Rudolph’s cock, he heard him gasp from above. The blond looked up to see his boyfriend with his back flush against the tile, craning his neck as he watched intently. 

Tony smirked and dipped his head to the boy’s hardened length, giving a small flick of his tongue at the head, met by a loud groan coming from Rudolph. He bucked up into Tony’s mouth when he wrapped his lips softly around him, taking him in. 

“Oh, _ Tony,_” he moaned, throwing his head back before looking back again. He licked up and down his shaft, moving his mouth around him. Rudolph swiftly built up, his breaths coming in ragged and quick. “_Oh God, _” he moaned, pounding his fists against the tile. 

All the while, Tony continued to suck at him, swirling his tongue around the tip and taking him deeper in his throat. The pale teenager’s fangs peeked out of his lips, creating divots in his smooth, pale skin. 

Tony still kept licking along his shaft, biting down gently to evoke an involuntary moan from Rudolph. The pale teenager reached out and clutched his shoulders, his nails biting deep in half moon crescents as they dragged along his tan skin. He grasped Rudolph’s thighs for balance, which only made him moan all the louder. 

“Keep going- oh- I- don’t stop- please- I love you, _ IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou_,” Rudolph babbled quickly, and the blond hummed delightedly. He just knew he was almost there. 

Tony sucked hard one last time before his vampire took a few more shallow breaths, coming in the blond’s mouth. Tony swallowed it all, gulping down the hot, sweet liquid. He felt hands move up his neck and grasp his hair as more come leaked out. He smiled into Rudolph’s length and swallowed the last of his boyfriend’s semen, sucking one more time before pulling off with a wet pop. 

He let Rudolph stand there panting while he stood and began to soap up both his and the vampire’s hair. Rudolph was able to breathlessly push off the wall to bring his lips to Tony’s, wrapping his arms around the boy’s waist. He only giggled and washed the suds from his boyfriend’s hair. 

“Why do you have to be so perfect?” Rudolph growled, pushing him against the wall. 

“I only learned from the best,” he murmured, reaching up to hold each side of the immortal’s head. He tilted his boyfriend’s face downwards and kissed him deeply. He moaned intoxicatingly, already feeling Rudolph’s bulge returning fully. 

The water of the shower stream mixed into their kisses, making them laugh as they continued to rock against one another. Tony slipped his tongue into the vampire’s warm mouth, intertwining it with Rudolph’s excitedly. 

“Tony- Tony…” Rudolph had broken away from Tony’s lips, but stopped the blond after he sucked another hickey onto his neck. “Let… let me do you now.”

Tony snapped out of his trance with Rudolph and realized how long they had been in the shower for. He reluctantly backed away, turning the shower off. 

“It’s definitely been more than ten minutes, dude,” he said, reaching out to grab two towels for the both of them. Tony scrubbed his hair with his own, looking over at Rudolph’s confused and slightly hurt features. 

“But what about you-?”

“I’ll be _ fine. _Besides, you’ll be back soon, won’t you?” he said, wrapping his towel around his waist. 

“Of course. I won’t be a moment, love,” Rudolph replied. Tony reached up and slicked back his ink-black hair, planting a chaste kiss to his lips before the pale teenager dashed out of the room with a towel wrapped around his waist. The blond smiled to himself as he heard Gregory calling loudly for the immortal from down the hallway. 

Tony turned back to the mirror that hung over the sink. A few months ago, he had seen a pathetic, scrawny child that couldn’t do anything for himself. Now he saw a beautiful teenager that had overcome his insecurities and had stood up for himself. He had even picked up the courage to tell his crush he liked him, and they were dating now. He was dating Rudolph Sackville-Bagg, and they were in love. Tony smiled at the strong, independent young man before him. He smirked at the fresh scratch marks on his back and shoulders; he would have a reminder of his boyfriend for a while. 

He raked through his messy hair, but decided to leave it; Rudolph loved his messy hair. He heard Gregory yell for his boyfriend again, and after hearing him shout back, Tony beamed. He was so incredibly happy now. It didn’t matter what his past was, Rudolph was the only future he truly cared about. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guysss....... The Little Vampire (2017) is currently up on Netflix!!!! Ahjsijdisnwn go watch it!!!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice long chapter to make up for the break... enjoy!

“Rudy, I need to ask you about something.”

The two boys were sitting against the trunk of a thick tree in prickly grass, shaded from the ethereal moonlight by the towering oak whose leaves rustled in the breeze. 

“You can ask me anything, you know,” Rudolph murmured into his golden hair. Tony was sitting against him, his back to the vampire’s stomach. He held the blond in a tight hug, leaning his head in the crook of his neck. He buried his nose under the human’s sweatshirt and pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder. Tony chuckled slightly and leaned his head back onto Rudolph’s. 

“I… uhm, I was… wondering if you would come with me to- to see… Rookery. At the mental hospital.”

Rudolph took in a sharp breath and his head shot up, looking at the blond apprehensively. “Wh- why? Why do you want to do that? I thought you never wanted to see him again.”

“I… I didn’t,” he sighed, leaning his head away from the vampire in embarrassment. “I just… I  _ kinda maybe  _ wanted to see him stuck in there… I want to see him as miserable as he made me for all those years.”

The vampire pulled him close, bringing him to his chest. “I’ll go with you,” he kissed behind the teenager’s ear, making him giggle quietly. “I support you no matter what. I’m not going to lie, though,” Tony turned his head so that Rudolph could kiss his cheek softly. “I would also like to see that man suffering. He deserves to be in more pain than you endured for all that time.”

Tony turned around completely and brought his lips to the pale boy’s. “I love you,” he whispered into his mouth. “I don’t deserve a boyfriend even remotely like you.”

“You deserve everything good, Tony Thompson.”

When they parted, Tony glanced over to see the sun beginning to peek above the horizon. He stood up and took the vampire’s hand instinctively. Pushing off into the sky, Rudolph laced their fingers together. The blond beamed at his vampire adoringly as they soared over the trees. He gazed over the boy’s pale gray face defined by shadows of lavender, thick black lashes batting as they revealed deep maroon irises blink after blink, beautiful pouting lips as he tried to recall the way back to the castle. Lips that Tony could kiss for hours until they were red. Tony flushed, looking at his sharp cheekbones highlighted by the moonlight. His magenta toned eyelids fluttered and he turned to Tony, noticing the blond’s eyes on him. 

“What is it, darling?” 

“I love you,” Tony said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. Rudolph’s eyes twinkled, the skin at the corners of his dark eyes crinkling gracefully. 

“And I as well,” he laughed, clinging tighter to his hand. They rounded a steep cliff and came into view of the aged building. And just in time; the sun had nearly risen.

The two shot into an open window and dashed down a dark corridor, trying to wind their way back to their room. When Tony realized just how empty the hallway was, he tugged his boyfriend into a narrow doorway, pulling him by the lapels of his jacket into a warm kiss. The vampire moaned into his lips, unhurriedly slotting their mouths together, fitting in with each other like perfect puzzle pieces. Tony ran his fingers through the immortal’s spiked hair as a careful hand snaked around his waist. They kissed for a few minutes, moving softly against one another. Tony eventually wrapped his arm across Rudolph’s shoulders, pulling him close as he nibbled softly at his vampire’s lips. 

“Brother, you have  _ got  _ to stop being so reckless,” a female voice from behind them made the two jump. Tony froze where he was, feeling an icy breeze on his back and Rudolph stiffen before him. They launched apart immediately, the blond turning to hide behind his boyfriend in the shadows.

“What do you want?” Rudolph spat at Anna, a deep growl emerging from his throat as he spoke. 

“Woah, brother. Take it easy,” she huffed, placing both hands bitterly on her hips. “I was just trying to go to _ my  _ room when I couldn’t help but see you _ snogging  _ this poor… human?” Anna’s eyes blew wide as saucers and her mouth fell open as she glimpsed Tony’s tan face and soft golden hair. “Is- Rudolph, is that a  _ human boy _ right there behind you?”

Tony placed a tremulous hand on the vampire’s shoulder, hiding his face even more from the girl’s view. “N- no! Why would you ever think such a thing?” Tony could tell Rudolph was panicking, feeling his chest heave as breaths came in short and fast. 

“Yes! It is _so _a _mortal! _I’m not as _stupid_ as you make me out to be, big brother. I can see his pale eyes and his… his… freckles!”

“What does that have to do with anything?” he hissed, jabbing an accusing finger into his sister’s chest. “That… that vampire I brought to my birthday party had pale—”

Rudolph stopped himself, clamping his jaw shut when he realized he had just helped Anna connect the dots. Tony cowered as he saw the realization spread across her face, a flash of contempt in her eyes.

“You!” she pointed accusingly at Tony. “You’re that little  _ flightless _ ‘vampire’ I tried to charm!” she growled and lunged at the boy, but Rudolph pushed her back. “ _ You’re  _ the one who was in my brother’s  _ bed! Oh brother,”  _ she sneered, reaching out to grab Tony, “you just  _ wait  _ until the clan finds out about this one!”

“Anna!” Rudolph cried, shoving her so forcefully that her back slammed into the opposite wall. “Snap out of it! You promised you wouldn’t tell! Besides, Father knows Tony isn’t what I said he was. Remember when he flew back with me and we had that long argument?”

“You had a-?” Tony began, but Anna was speaking again.

“I thought that was only because you had been seen near mortals! I didn’t know you had been consorting with them!” 

“Well you do now!” he shouted. Tony grabbed hold of Rudolph’s arm, trying to stop him from fighting with the girl. 

“If she’s not going to tell, there’s no use arguing,” he whispered, burying his face in the pale boy’s back. 

Rudolph glanced back at him, then sighed in defeat. “Anna, do you promise you won’t tell the clan about this? Not just yet.”

“I suppose so,” she scoffed, “but I’ll warn you like I warned Gregory all those years ago: they will eventually find out. They always find out in the end. There’s just no keeping secrets from a clan as old as us. I hope you can hide him for as long as possible. 

“So long, Tony,” she bid, and Tony’s vision became fuzzy for a moment, before he heard an indignant shout from his boyfriend. When he came back to his senses, he saw Anna snickering, winking at Tony mischievously before she turned on her heel and dashed out of the corridor. 

The blond still felt a tingling sensation throughout his body as Rudolph took his hand and raced them through the halls, glancing every which way to make sure the coast was clear. When they had reached the safety of their room, the dark haired boy sat Tony down on his unused coffin lying on the floor. 

“I am sincerely sorry for what just happened,” he uttered, holding him tightly by his shoulders. “I didn’t expect for that to happen, and I  _ was  _ being reckless. I promise I won’t do anything to jeopardize us being together in the future. I’m angry with myself that I let her thrall you like that; I won’t let that happen again either.”

Tony could only blink up at the vampire. Rudolph was upset with himself that they had gotten caught when it was all Tony’s fault. The blond was taken aback by how unselfish he was, how he was not going to blame Tony for what happened. He smiled up at Rudolph, biting his lip. 

“What?” he asked, his pupils dilating. He licked his lips before leaning in to kiss the mortal, placing his hands on either side of his hips on the dark wood. Tony swirled his tongue across his vampire’s lips, tasting the remnants of blood from his drinking the previous night. Rudolph moaned and pulled Tony up, causing the blond boy to lose his balance. He fell forwards with a yelp into his vampire’s chest. Strong arms encircled around him and Tony looked up into maroon eyes that assured him that he would be safe whenever he was in them. 

Rudolph chuckled and stepped backwards, keeping his hold on Tony. He looked deeply into sky blue eyes, taking in hundreds of tiny freckles dusted across his flushed cheeks. The teenager smiled and caressed his boyfriend’s lips, not quite kissing them. 

“You could thrall me, if you wanted to. You know I wouldn’t say no,” he breathed against his mouth. Rudolph let out a husky laugh and met Tony’s lips, sliding his tongue past them. He broke away, setting him down once more. 

“ ** _By the dark power that resides within me, I bend you to my will_ ** ,” Tony giggled at the mystic undertone of his voice, but soon felt a light flutter in the back of his mind, as if something had left him. He didn’t mind though, staring into his love’s blazing red eyes. 

When he came to, he was lying on their bed with Rudolph hanging over him, dragging his fangs along sun-kissed skin. The blond shivered and smiled, placing his hands on either side of the vampire’s face when he looked up. 

“I definitely like that better than your sister’s. It makes hers feel so much lamer.”

“Really?” Rudolph questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

“It’s you, isn’t it?” he chuckled, bringing his vampire in again for a kiss. 

＊＊＊

“When would you like to go and visit… him?” 

“I… want to visit him tonight. If that’s okay,” he continued after he saw Rudolph nod, “I found out which asylum he’s being kept at, so I figured we should go as soon as we can… while he still remembers us,” Tony made a cuckoo signal with his finger, earning a light swat from his chuckling boyfriend. They were sprawled out on their bed, half listening to the quiet music tinkling away on his record player in the background. 

The blond placed a hand on Rudolph’s bare chest, craning his neck to kiss the pale boy’s collarbone. The vampire was still panting as he ruffled a hand through Tony’s hair; it had been mussed up from their previous excursions. 

“Well, I suppose we should get a bit of sleep before we head over there,” the dark haired boy mumbled, placing a hand across Tony’s sweat-covered back. He pulled the duvet up and over their shoulders as the blond teenager let out a happy sigh. 

The two slept soundly, shifting only slightly in one another’s arms the entire day. Tony awoke around dusk, feeling soft breath ghost his skin. He looked up to see Rudolph already awake, gazing at him. When their eyes met, the pale boy grinned. 

“Good evening, dearest,” he cooed, leaning in to kiss Tony’s cheek. 

The blond giggled softly, bringing his lips to his boyfriend’s. “Hey, baby,” he whispered. He ran a careful hand across Rudolph’s cool cheek. He kissed the vampire again before throwing open the covers. Rudolph groaned and rolled out of bed, both slipping on a pair of underwear as they started towards the bathroom. 

Once safely behind the closed door, Rudolph pressed into him, turning on the shower with one hand while pushing Tony into the dark wood with the other. As they waited for the water to warm up, the vampire pressed deep kisses into Tony, cupping his hand around his rear. The blond bucked up into his boyfriend’s hardness, causing them both to cry out. Rudolph leaned in close to Tony, grinding against him as their mouths melded together. 

Tony stepped into the shower cheekily, hearing another disappointed groan from behind him as the shower stream hit his back. He pulled Rudolph in close, feeling the freezing tile press against his skin. Their mouths came together, rolling off each other as the water from the shower ran along their bodies. 

The blond teenager slid his tongue past his vampire’s lips, intertwining them. He gasped when Rudolph placed a hand on his cock, softly running his finger over the hot skin. Tony moaned and bit his lip, trying to stay quiet when the two had just been caught mere hours ago. He held tightly to Rudolph’s shoulders as he continued to stroke Tony’s length. 

“Oh,  _ Rudy _ ,” he groaned as the boy slotted both their cocks side by side together and began to pump them with his fist. The blond clenched his hands on Rudolph, digging into his skin. He leaned on the immortal’s shoulder and turned his head so he could suck a bright scarlet love bite onto his neck. Rudolph moaned and rolled their hardnesses together faster, picking up the rhythm until Tony threw his head back, seeing stars. He shuddered as a familiar heat in his stomach built up, and he began to pant heavily. 

“You’re gorgeous, love,” Rudolph said, pressing their foreheads together. 

He pumped a few more times, moaning when the blond ground into the other boy involuntarily. Then they each came fast, fluid leaking over Rudolph’s fingers and their lengths. The mortal continued to pant, resting his head in the crook of his vampire’s neck. 

“That’s it, Tony,” he uttered in his ear. “I’ve got you.”

Rudolph clung to Tony’s waist as they basked in the afterglow, their chests heaving as water continued to drip down their bodies. “Oh god, I love you,” Tony whispered. 

“And I you,” he replied, peppering soft kisses over his face. 

When the boys had regained their energy, they washed up whilst exchanging more delighted kisses and delicate touches. Tony realized how late it must have been, so he turned the shower off, stepping out with Rudolph’s hand in his. The dark haired boy dried off quickly before disappearing to their shared room, dripping along the wood panels as he went. Tony chuckled to himself as he toweled his body off thoroughly, wrapping the heavy cloth around his waist. The blond made his way back to their bedroom, rifling through the drawers for clean clothes as Rudolph waited patiently on the bed. 

Once he had gotten dressed, he turned to where Rudolph was seated on the bed. Upon seeing Rudolph, his heart leapt in his chest. He practically rushed up to the pale teenager as he floated to the floor to stand before the mortal. 

“Is that  _ my _ sweatshirt?” Rudolph was wearing one of Tony’s deep red tops. It hung alluringly off his slim figure. He grinned and the vampire blushed deeply. Smirking, he bit his lip. 

“…Maybe,” he replied cheekily, leaning in to kiss the blond teenager. Their lips brushed momentarily, Tony playing with the fabric as a grin spread wide across his face.

“It looks good on you,” he sighed into his mouth.

“I can tell.”

Tony kissed him again. “Ready?”

“Of course,” he smiled reassuringly and took the human’s hand, lifting the two up and floating them through the open window. They flew over to the cow barn where Tony pulled off a stained sheet that covered the small blue car they had driven in to reach the castle. Wulftrud and Otto had helped them conceal it so that the other vampires would not discover there was another human living amongst them. 

With Rudolph’s supernatural strength, he helped push the car out of the barn without disturbing the cows. As the pale boy climbed into the car, Tony turned the key in the ignition and the thing sputtered before jumping to life. He pulled out of the castle with as little noise from the old muffler as possible and began to drive towards the mental asylum. 

Tony flicked on the radio station that Rudolph liked and placed his hand in Rudolph’s, interlocking their fingers. The blond glanced over at him, who smiled back, tapping his foot lightly to the symphony playing. 

The dark haired teenager ran his thumb absentmindedly across Tony’s hand. They drove in light conversation, but once Tony mentioned the vampire’s father, Rudolph fell into silence. Tony looked over, concerned that he had just hurt the boy’s feelings. But he was already looking as well. 

“When should we tell the others? About… us?” the vampire practically whispered.

“Well… what would happen if they found out?”

Rudolph was silent for a minute, as if scared to think about how far his father would go to get his human-loving son out of the clan. “I… don’t know,” he sighed, raking a finger through his ink-black hair. “If they find out about us as two males in a relationship, they… wouldn’t be terribly bothered… I don’t think. Gregory wasn’t punished when Mother found him with his tongue down some boy’s throat,” Rudolph made a look of disgust, but then smiled sadly at Tony. “That was a vampire though. Your being a human doesn’t help. Frederick is not one to make exceptions. He certainly won’t for me… and now that both he and Anna know you are a mortal… I could be thrown out of the clan. I’ve seen it happen before. He surely won’t hesitate with me.”

Tony chewed the inside of his cheek nervously. He drifted a bit on the road as he began to think. He loved Rudolph so much. And Rudolph loved him too; now that they had moved in together even when they could be discovered, Tony knew that he wanted to be with him forever. He wanted to hold Rudolph in his arms for the rest of his life. He never wanted to grow old or have to leave him. He loved him. He could never leave. 

“You could turn me into a vampire,” he blurted as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. 

“W- what?” he heard the vampire squeak. 

“We’re here!” Tony cried, turning off the car and climbing out of it with lightning speed. Rudolph had to practically chase him to the door. Upon entering, Rudolph took Tony’s hand to stop him in his tracks. 

“W- what do you mean?” 

Tony squeezed Rudolph’s hand and began to lead him farther down the brightly lit hallway. “I love you,” he whispered into the pale boy’s ear as they walked side by side up to the front desk to see a cheerful looking nurse typing away her computer. When she glanced up, her eyes locked on the vampire first, a strange expression crossing her face. But she appeared to wave it away, showing off white teeth when she stretched her intensely pink lips.

“Hello, how may I help you boys this evening?” 

“Uhm… I’d like to visit a patient that’s staying here.”

“Oh I’m terribly sorry young man,” she said, her thin eyebrows knitting together. “Visiting hours are over for the night.”

Tony’s stomach dropped. He hadn’t thought of that. “I… but I  _ need  _ to see him. It’s important,” he saw her cross her arms, unamused. Tony squeezed his boyfriend’s hand, inching closer to him. “His- his name’s Rookery—”

Then the woman gasped, her penciled-on eyebrows raising high on her forehead. “I didn’t think you were visiting  _ him _ ,” she leapt up and grabbed a key that hung from a knob behind her. Before she left, she appeared to remember something, whisking out a clipboard. “What’s your name, dear?” 

“Uhm… Tony… Tony Rookery,” he could almost feel himself gag. Rudolph squeezed the blond’s hand sympathetically. He leaned his head against the vampire’s shoulder. 

Her eyebrows rose even higher as she wrote down his name. “You’re his son?” she gasped. 

“No!” Tony practically shouted, shooting up. He sighed. “Sorry… he’s my adoptive father. Not a very nice man.”

The nurse laughed. “No… he’s not the most pleasant patient here. And who’s this here?” she pointed her pen at Rudolph, her eyes shifting to their interlocked hands, and she smiled softly.

“Rudolph Sackville-Bagg. His boyfriend,” he puffed out his chest proudly as the woman chuckled, scribbling his name down. 

“Of course, of course. You two just sign in here.”

They signed their names, and as they were getting ready to follow her, she stopped abruptly and turned to Tony. “That man… he seems a bit… conservative. Do you think Mr. Sackville-Bagg will be alright visiting him with you?”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he tightened his grip on his vampire ever so slightly. She nodded and directed them towards a narrow spiral staircase. Tony had to tug Rudolph down from flying up, so as not to frighten the woman. As they made their way up the steep metal steps, she chattered on about Rookery. 

“I normally wouldn’t let people see the patients after visiting hours, but this man, I tell you,” Tony struggled to hold down a laugh. “He stays up all hours of the night… can’t even get sleeping pills to work. He falls asleep for the night, and then the next… he’s up again! Pure nocturnal, if I’ve ever seen such a thing. Says he’s looking for vampires! Of all things! We’ve gone through eight nurses this month because of him, you know. 

“And,” she paused in front of the door at the end of an empty hallway they had walked down: a moldy faded yellow corridor compared to the baby blue of the rest of the place from so many years of neglect. “He keeps the lights off all the time, so if you want to turn on one, go ahead… he needs to learn that it’s much better to be seeing some light.”

She placed the key in the keyhole, turning it and opening the door a crack. “Mr. Rookery, sir?”

“WHAT?” a gruff voice shouted out in the darkness. 

“There’s some visitors here to see you.”

“At this hour?”

“Well, you’re asleep during visiting hours, sir.”

“… Send them in! And don’t come back!”

“Alright… I’ll have another nurse be back in two hours to check your blood pressure.”

“Fine.”

The nurse turned to the couple and smiled kindly. “Have fun!”

“Thank you,” Tony replied, his heart drumming in his chest as he pushed open the door slowly. “Rookery?” the blond teenager flicked the lights on, hearing a slight hiss from the man sitting by the window in a wooden chair. 

“What in the name of—” Rookery turned around, and his eyes blew wide. He was most likely surprised to see two teenagers in his room, or any visitors at all. He wasn’t surprised by just the fact that there was a vampire in his room now, but that Tony had wanted to see him. He hadn’t expected to see him again. 

“Tony?”

“…Yeah,” he replied awkwardly, shuffling on his feet. 

“Why are  _ you  _ here?”

“I… just wanted to check up on you,” an ingenuine smile spread across his lips. 

“You want to… talk?”

“Yeah. I want to talk.”

“Well, by all means…” he gestured to a table with two other seats at it, standing up to drag his own chair over. He brought it down with a sharp crack against the floorboards that made both boys jump as they sat down gingerly. Rookery folded his hands in front of him, waiting for Tony to say something. He eyed Rudolph cautiously, trying to remember why he recognized the dark haired boy. He turned to the blond when he cleared his throat. 

“How  _ are  _ you,  _ Rookery _ ?” Tony asked, each word like venom. 

“Well…  _ you  _ got me here. Twice. I’d say pretty terrible, then.”

“That’s good to hear,” Tony said as if he hadn’t listened to what the stranger man just said, and Rookery visibly stiffened at that, his eyebrows furrowing. He had probably thought Tony was there to come running back to him. 

“What do you mean? Aren’t you here to apologize?” Tony’s mouth popped open.  _ Of course he thought that.  _ He watched with contempt as Rookery leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head and smirking. “Can’t take care of yourself, eh boy?” 

“Listen old man,” he sighed, running a hand through his golden blond hair. “I just came here because I wanted to get a few things straight before I never see you again.”

Rookery raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting tauntingly. “Go ahead then, boy.”

Tony looked at Rudolph, who made a disgusted face. He smiled and turned back to face the strange man before him. He was the same man who had raised him. He just looked so empty now. His eyes darted around crazily, heavy bags under them from lack of sleep searching for vampires. Now there was one right in front of him; and he couldn’t tell. Rookery used to be able to spot a vampire from miles away. Now all he could do was have a strange feeling about the boy sitting next to Tony. 

In a way he felt sorry for him. Then again, not at all. 

He leaned forward on the table, his eyes stinging when he caught wind of his telling garlic stench. He placed an arm in front of Rudolph, who he could see tearing up from it already. 

“Why did you even adopt me in the first place? You never cared about me. So why?”

“Is that your question?” Rookery snickered. Tony nodded and chewed at the inside of his cheek again. “You should know well enough by now. I never cared for you. I found you at that orphanage and I saw a worker in you. I thought, if I raised you right, you’d be a strong, handsome, good working man that would carry on my business.”

Tony could hear Rudolph growl deep in his throat. 

“Now, all I see is some measly little boy that hasn’t grown up since the day I came upon him. You are as naïve as a ten year old and I know now that I shouldn’t have let Manny raise you to be such a wuss. I don’t care what you’re doing now, but clearly your being here proves you’re just as much of a failure as I realized you were all those years ago.”

At that, Rudolph leapt up. Tony tried to stop him, but Rudolph had already taken a fistful of the man’s shirt. He didn’t seem to notice the sting of his garlic odor on his skin, wrenching him forwards and bringing his face mere inches from his. Rookery yelped with great fear, his eyes darting from Tony to the pale teenager and back again. 

“You listen here,” he spat, lifting Rookery up so that his feet dangled off the floor. The vampire hunter flailed about helplessly. “Don’t you  _ ever _ say that about him, you hear me-?”

“Rudy, really now,” Tony nearly whispered, pulling his boyfriend away from the old man. Rookery was currently nodding erratically with his eyes shut tight. Rudolph reluctantly let go, all three sitting down again. Rookery’s chest heaved as he studied Rudolph warily. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Rudolph clenching his hand. He paused and picked it up, turning it over in his own. “It’s alright. Just don’t try that again,” the vampire snickered, allowing Tony to bring his lips to the open palm. 

When he looked up, he saw Rookery’s wide eyes and gaping mouth. “Ah! I should have introduced you two sooner,” the blond teenager sighed. He turned to his boyfriend again and flashed him a sly smile that the dark haired boy returned. “This is Rookery. Rookery, this is Rudolph,” Tony could see the old man tightening his lips angrily as he was ignored by the two who gazed into one another’s eyes. Then Tony placed his hand on the table so that his vampire could take it, and they laced their fingers tightly together so Rookery could see. He gawked at them. 

“ _ You?  _ My boy? _ My  _ boy? You’re one of  _ them?” _

A sick feeling began to form in his gut. “Whatever do you mean?” he stroked his thumb along his vampire’s hand, feeling more at ease with Rudolph right there. 

“You know what I mean,” he sneered, staring at their interlocked hands, horrified. “Nothing I raised would become such a  _ faggot  _ such as yourself.”

Tony felt a bubble of rage form in his throat, and he scoffed at the man who was supposed to be a father to him. “But you  _ never  _ raised me. If you ever even  _ remotely _ did, you did it wrong. I’ve always been this way and not you; not even Manny could have done anything in raising me to change that.”

_ “I didn’t raise any queer,”  _ Rookery muttered under his breath as he leaned back in his chair. Tony’s ears went hot with rage as he clutched Rudolph’s hand so hard the boy hissed. He apologized and loosened his grip, but continued to stare daggers at the man. 

Tony was able to calm himself though, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I should be thanking you, really,” he said, breaking the tense, angry silence in the room. 

“WHAT?” the other two cried in unison. Rudolph’s eyes had blown wide and Rookery looked as though he could have been pushed over if there was even a slight breeze in that little room.

“You know…” he continued to stroke over Rudolph’s hand. “If you hadn’t adopted me in the first place… and abused me… and forced me to become a vampire hunter…” he leaned in closer to Rudolph so that their shoulders touched, and he could see the utter loathing written across the hunter’s face as they did so. “And if you hadn’t captured this vampire here that night I’d had enough,” Rookery’s eyes grew so wide it looked like they would burst out of his head, “then, and only then, I wouldn’t have met my  _ gorgeous _ boyfriend.”

“Those bruises did  _ not  _ take a day to heal, I’ll tell you that much, Mr. Rookery,” Rudolph joked dangerously, his eyes still dark with rage. 

“You- I- what?” he stammered, only now realizing how he had missed all the tell-tale signs of his being a vampire. “You- you can’t do that. You can’t do that to my boy,” he argued, panicking. 

“For the record,” Rudolph said as he got up to lean in close to the foul man, “Tony makes the most _exquisite _sounds during sex.”

Rookery screwed up his face and pounded the table. “You little  _ bastard _ ! Don’t you dare touch him!” he tried to throw a punch at Rudolph, but the vampire caught his fist, the man’s knuckles popping under his supernatural strength. “St- stop… get your  _ hands  _ off me!”

“I think what  _ you  _ need to do,  _ sir _ , is  _ never  _ touch Tony again. I don’t want you coming near him… if you ever get out, I suppose. I don’t want to see you in the same town as him, breathing the same air as him, or going to the same places as him. And believe me… I will still be alive to make sure that doesn’t happen. If you  _ ever  _ so much as  _ touch  _ him, I can guarantee that I  _ will _ kill you. I’m still unsure of what I’m capable of doing to a mortal, but I’d be  _ very _ keen to find out. Are we clear?”

Rookery scowled at first, but when Rudolph tightened his hold on the man’s clenched hand, he began to panic. 

“Owowowow fine! Fine… I… won’t ever go near him… I- I’ll leave you two alone.” 

Rudolph reluctantly let the man go, who stumbled backwards clutching his hand. The vampire turned to Tony, flashing him a soft smile. “You wanna get out of here, baby?”

“Of course,” he answered, placing his hand in Rudolph’s and leaning in to kiss his boyfriend as messily as he could so that he could hear the disgusted groans of the old man before them. They made their way to the bolted window on the other side of the room, but before they left, the blond turned to look at him once more. 

“You should know”, he began again, “that I went back and finished high school after you were gone. I received scholarships for almost all of the seven colleges that accepted me; all of which I can already pay for thanks to the money I earned working an  _ honest _ job and the money I found in the old house.  _ By the way,  _ I also sold the house. And that broken down truck is gone. So that pray you stay here for a long time because I made sure you’d have _ nothing _ if you got out of this asylum.

“Goodbye, Rookery,” he said, closing the window behind him as he saw the increasing horror on the old man’s face. He smirked at the vampire who floated them down to the empty parking lot below, hearing the shrill screaming of Rookery who had apparently thrown it open once they left. Tony paused with his key to the car door. He gazed at Rudolph, smiling. 

“What?” he said, raising an eyebrow but still smiling back. 

Tony walked around to the vampire’s side and pressed him against the car. He brought his lips to Rudolph’s, wrapping his arms around his neck. The pale teenager’s hands inched their way to rest across Tony’s rear as they kissed comfortably for several minutes. The blond left his boyfriend dazed and panting when he rounded to his side once more, unlocking the car and sliding in.

As they exited the parking lot, Tony placed a gentle hand on Rudolph’s thigh, which he could see made him flush a deep lilac as he licked his lips eagerly. 

“Thanks for coming with me tonight. It meant a lot to me,” he murmured, rubbing his hand up and down his leg. 

“S- sure, anytime,” he flushed deeper but kept calm as he seemed to remember what his boyfriend had said earlier. He placed his hand on top of Tony’s. “Uhm… Tony?”

“Mhm?” he glanced over at the vampire before looking back at the winding mountain road. 

“What- what you said… before… about vampires.”

“What about vampires?” he tried to play dumb, a cold panic rising in his chest. 

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Rudolph sighed, giving the blond’s hand a squeeze. “You said I could turn you into a vampire, didn’t you, dear?”

“I… I guess… maybe I did,” his grip tightened on the steering wheel. He was only afraid of what Rudolph’s response would be. 

“Would you really want to do it?”

Tony turned away from the road, blue eyes meeting maroon. “Yes.”

“Now really, Tony,” the vampire grumbled, causing the blond to scoff. Rudolph realized how Tony took it, and proceeded to grasp the boy’s hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed the skin there soundly. “Why would you want to give away your life like that? And for me to take it from you, most of all?”

“Rudy,” he glanced back at the road for a second or two. “I’m almost nineteen years old now. I’m going to pass you by if I get any older. I want to be with you forever, so turning me into a vampire would be the only option.”

Rudolph turned away, his eyes gone glassy. “You don’t understand what it’s like, living forever. It’s awful. I don’t want you to live through what I have to do, even if it means letting you age away.”

“_Don’t_ _say that. _I would be with _you _forever. That’s all that matters to me. If I got bored, I wouldn’t care; you’d be there. I would live through it all with you.”

At that, Rudolph let go of Tony’s hand, letting it drop as he rolled down the window of the small car and flew out of it. The blond slammed on the brakes, immediately jumping out of the car to call after him with the engine still running. “Rudolph! We can talk about this! RUDOLPH!” But he was already out of sight, having disappeared behind the mountain. Tony craned his neck trying to catch glimpses of him for what seemed like hours, but he eventually decided to head back to the castle, figuring he would at least come back there. 

Rolling the car into the cow barn, he struggled to cover it without his vampire and, walking into the castle, Tony had to duck into empty rooms to avoid the vampires roaming around. He was miserable waiting for Rudolph, counting down the hours until dawn. He grew more and more anxious with each passing minute, pacing the floor, worried sick that the vampire wouldn’t make it back in time. Rudolph wasn’t answering his phone, and by the time the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, Tony threw open the window and sat looking out, trying to get some glimpse of Rudolph. When the sun had nearly risen, he began to call out for him frantically. 

He knew that Rudolph had probably found shelter; he was  _ so  _ smart. But Tony was worried that what he said had messed with him, and he hadn’t been able to find any place to hide from the sun. He couldn’t go back downstairs without running into vampires, so he was confined to their bedroom. He scanned the room for another way of getting out unnoticed, but to no avail; he had to watch for the boy. 

Tony leaned out the window, looking down to the grassy mountainside below. He wasn’t  _ too  _ far away from the ground. He could easily look for Rudolph then. He just had to make sure he was safe in the castle; away from the sun. 

Tony had just climbed over the windowsill and was hanging from the ledge. He was trying to find a way down without falling a few hundred feet when he felt strong hands grasp him by the arms and pull him up. The vampire yanked him straight inside, and Tony fell into his arms. He looked into Rudolph’s hard eyes before hugging him tightly. 

“Thank god you’re okay,” he whispered into the vampire’s chest. The sun had almost fully risen behind him. 

Rudolph scoffed. “Me? What about you? You could have seriously injured yourself if you fell from there. What were you thinking?”

Tony looked up at the sudden change in the vampire’s tone. He met the scowling boy’s eyes again, knowing he had frightened him. “I- I’m sorry… I didn’t- I was afraid you were out there with- with the sun coming up… and the way you left like that… I wanted to find you before anything happened. I wasn’t thinking. And why were  _ you  _ gone so long? You had me so worried!”

Rudolph sighed and ran a hand through his ink-black hair. He scooped the blond teenager up and, drawing the drapes, he brought him to sit on their bed. “I was just upset about what you said,” he looked down, folding his hands in his lap apprehensively. 

“The thing is that you don’t understand how terrible it is to live for this long. I’ve grown tired of everyone I’ve ever known at some point, and I don’t ever want to end up hating you. I can’t remember the last time I was happy in the company of my family. My past life is a faded memory, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. 

“I’d give anything to be a human again… I’m just trying to say… I love you. And because I love you, I need to let you go at some point so that you can live out the rest of your life with someone who ages with you. You can’t give up your entire mortality for some vampire. It’ll probably be hard at first, but at some point, I think we’ll both move on.”

Rudolph’s eyes were welling up with tears as he traced nervous circles with his finger on the duvet. Tony only felt himself heat up with anger. “I can’t believe you’re  _ actually _ suggesting a thing like that,” he spat, causing the vampire’s head to snap up. “ _ You _ should understand that I want to be with you, and when you say I’m throwing away  _ my  _ life not giving you up, I’d be throwing away my life in giving you up. I’d be giving up my everything. I want you to turn me so I can be with  _ you.  _ So you need to  _ shut up  _ about me. I don’t care if I get tired of you as an immortal; I’d just know that I had the most trusting, kind, and honest relationship that I could ever have, and no one could ever make me think otherwise.” 

“But you’ll  _ hate  _ me in the end. I know it. It’s happened before,” Rudolph let a tear roll down his cheek silently, rubbing it away with his sleeve. He took Tony’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I just want you to think about what you’re doing to yourself before you decide to be with me and then it’s too late. I know I would like more than anything to have you forever, but it’s something that I personally don’t think will end up working out.”

“But I  _ love  _ you,” Tony said desperately, tightening his grip on Rudolph’s hand. 

“I know,” Rudolph leaned in and kissed Tony’s cheek. “Can you please at least consider the consequences before you make your decision?”

Now it was Tony’s turn to leave. He wrenched his hand away from Rudolph, who sat gaping on the bed as he hopped up and left their bedroom. He roamed down the darkened hall, trying to calm down.

_ How could Rudolph be so brilliant yet so oblivious at the same time? _ He couldn’t see that Tony would never stop loving him. He couldn’t see that Tony didn’t care at all about his mortal life right now. He just wanted to be with his vampire forever. He wanted to be with him through the highs and the lows; through whatever was thrown at them. He just hoped that Rudolph wasn’t right and he never got tired of Tony. 

The blond eventually stumbled upon an empty room. He entered, sprawling out onto the cold, rock-hard bed. He just needed to let Rudolph think for a bit. He might just come around. After all, he knew that Tony would be too old soon anyway. And if Rudolph wanted to be with Tony like he said he did, then he would realize how awful it would be to give Tony up. Tony had no one other than Rudolph, and he couldn’t  _ imagine _ a life without him. 

Tony didn’t bother to crawl under the covers; he knew it would be just as cold there as well. So he fell asleep tossing and turning, going through every memory he had of his boyfriend. There was nothing that could change his mind. 


	21. Chapter 21

Tony stirred in bed, waking up blearily to warmth engulfing him. It took him a few seconds to figure out that he was tucked under the duvet, surrounded in Rudolph’s arms. He was curled up against the blond teenager’s back, holding him close. Tony looked about, catching a glimpse of the record player on the nightstand. 

The vampire must have come looking for him and taken him back to their room. Tony let out a sigh of relief, knowing that Rudolph wasn’t too mad at him. The dark haired boy stirred suddenly, tightening his grasp on him, resting his chin upon the blond’s shoulder. Tony lay awake, blushing profusely as his boyfriend continued to sigh sleepily against him. 

It took another few minutes before Tony decided to get up, wanting to get ready for breakfast. As he carefully rolled out of bed, he heard Rudolph give a small whine before an arm was wrapping around Tony’s waist. He pulled him back towards himself and dug his face into the cloth of his sweatshirt. “Stay,” he pleaded.

“Let me go and eat,” the mortal chuckled, reaching back to ruffle his hair. 

“No…” the vampire groaned, forcing Tony back so he would lie down again. “Stay in bed,” the pale teenager whispered, wrapping another arm around his waist.

“Oh, alright,” he mumbled, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head. Tony lay back gently, the vampire settling in beside him. Rudolph let out a happy sigh, snuggling into him. They lay in silence for a while, just feeling the rise and fall of each other’s chests. Then Tony mustered up the courage to say something about the morning before. “So… you brought me back, did you?”

“Of course,” he said. “I couldn’t go a day without you.”

Tony turned on his side so his face was mere inches from Rudolph’s. “I… didn’t change my mind, you know. I still want to do this.”

The vampire bit his lip, a sharp fang glistening in the low light. “I… I thought about it as well after you left,” Tony reached out a hand to cup his cheek gently. Rudolph looked into his sky blue eyes, his own twinkling with desire. “I said that I would be able to stand giving you up and letting you get on with your mortal life. The thing is… I was able to give many vampires up over the years because I knew those relationships wouldn’t last. I came to realize that those didn’t last because we were only fooling around; we were bored.

“But that’s not the case with us!” he finished quickly after seeing a flash of hurt burst across the blond’s face. He pulled Tony in close and placed a tender kiss at the corner of his mouth. “When you first confessed your feelings to me that night when I flew off,” he began, kissing Tony’s cheek, “I left because I was worried. I was worried about many things, like how you were a mortal, or how you didn’t deserve a monster like me.” 

Tony let out a soft _ oh _and kissed Rudolph’s pale lips after he heard his voice tremble. When they broke apart, his boyfriend was smiling again. “It’s alright. I just… the thing I worried about most of all, though, was that you only wanted to have me for a small amount of time; for that moment. I realize now that what I had wanted was a long term relationship with you. I didn’t want to just be friends with benefits. That’s why I think that we should be together… forever; because I love you, and if you really wish for me to turn you… then I will,” he paused to take a deep breath, “so whenever you’re ready, I’ll do it.”

“_ Oh, Rudy _,” Tony whispered, tears forming in his eyes. He tilted his head and kissed Rudolph again, evoking a small moan from the immortal. “Thank you.”

“All I want is for you to be happy, darling,” he said, sending Tony into soft giggles. He smiled into a delicate kiss, each of them taking their time as their mouths rolled smoothly together. The vampire cheekily thrust his tongue past the blond’s lips, being met with a deep moan. Tony moved so that he leaned over him, kissing Rudolph into the pillow. He pinned Rudolph’s hands above his head, intertwining their fingers together while he pressed further into his boyfriend. 

They continued for a few more minutes, with the mortal eventually sliding off the bed, heading towards the door. Rudolph whined, but followed the blond teenager out of their room. He caught Tony’s hand and flew them downstairs, stopping between each hallway to make sure no vampires would see. 

Arriving at the kitchen, Wulftrud greeted them sweetly, piling up bratwursts, eggs, and pancakes on a large platter. Otto handed a pitcher of orange juice to Tony, and even poured a chalice of blood for Rudolph. They stayed talking to the older couple for as long as they could, until they heard another vampire approaching. Ducking down an empty hallway, they just missed being found out by Frederick, which caused both boys to dash in the other direction, trying desperately to hold in nervous laughter. 

Once safely behind the locked door of their room, they set to eating, Rudolph watching Tony with heart eyes while the blond practically devoured his food. When Tony caught his gaze, he beamed at his vampire. 

Setting the rest of the plate aside, he walked over to where Rudolph was seated in a deep green armchair and crawled into his lap. The vampire let out an involuntary yelp, but laughed when Tony wrapped his arms around him, kissing his cheek sweetly. With breakfast left unfinished and half a glass of blood left out, the couple moved to the bed. 

They opted to just cuddle, settling under the covers with Rudolph curled around Tony. He threw an arm securely around the blond’s waist, resting his head in the crook of his neck with one leg wrapped around Tony’s. The blond boy giggled, turning to plant a tender kiss to Rudolph’s lips. The vampire was taken off guard, but returned the kiss nevertheless, tightening his hold on Tony’s waist. 

“When do you think you’ll be ready to do it?” Rudolph ventured. 

“As soon as possible,” he murmured, “you could do it now, even,” he turned again and raised a sly eyebrow at his vampire. 

Rudolph gave an unbelieving scoff. “I’m not doing it _ right now _.” 

Tony giggled again as Rudolph placed a light kiss on his neck. “I think,” the vampire began with a sigh, “you should do a bunch of stuff you won’t get to do when you’re turned; Eat some garlic. Go into a church. Stare directly at the sun,” Tony broke out laughing, and he shifted on the bed so he could look at his boyfriend. 

“I don’t think it would be worth it to do those things without you,” but Tony stopped when he saw the vampire raise an unamused eyebrow. “Okay! I’ll do them. But I’ll be back here tonight.”

“You’d better be,” Rudolph teased, brushing his nose against the blond’s before slowly touching his lips to the boy’s, pausing to swipe his tongue across his bottom lip, evoking an involuntary moan from deep in his throat. 

“I’m not going anywhere right now though,” Tony said once they parted, cuddling impossibly closer to the immortal. He chuckled, pulling Tony in. As the blond teenager drifted off to sleep, he felt Rudolph pepper a gentle kiss onto his head. He smiled knowing that he was loved by the person he cared about most in the world. 

＊＊＊

Tony sat in a small gazebo just outside the castle doors. Rudolph was forcing him to watch a sunrise; so be it. All he had to do was get through it and then he could go inside and show Rudolph what his mouth was for. 

He tapped his foot impatiently, growing sick of the light blues and purples that remained stationary in the star-speckled sky. As the sun finally began to peek above the horizon, Tony took out his phone and started to video record it. If he missed the sun later, then he could just watch this, out of the countless videos on the internet. He could always show it to Rudolph as well. 

Watching as the light yellow blended against the dark sky, Tony thought about how this was it; this was his last sunrise, the last moment he would see the sun until he somehow died. 

He surprisingly felt fine with it. It mattered more to him to be with the love of his life than some stupid sunrise. 

He felt fine with everything about becoming a vampire. He could leave the worries of the modern world behind and spend his existence with Rudolph. Tony only had Rudolph left in this world; and he didn’t want to lose him forever; he wanted to have him forever. Tony didn't care what happened to him, he just wanted to be with his boyfriend for the rest of his life. 

Going over this, Tony fought the strong urge to dash into the castle and shag the vampire’s lights out. Tony saw that the sun had nearly risen over the trees and stopped recording, pocketing his phone and bolting into the castle. He couldn’t wait any longer.

The blond ducked into dark hallways that were cold and empty, avoiding as many prowling vampires as possible. He eventually wound his way to their bedroom once more, opening the door with a creak to see his boyfriend sprawled out on the bed looking awfully bored. Upon seeing the blond enter, he popped up, flying over to him so that he could kiss Tony so intensely that his knees went weak. 

“Did you enjoy the sunrise?” Rudolph mumbled against the mortal’s lips, shrugging off his leather jacket. 

“Not as much as I would have with you,” Tony said breathlessly as his vampire pressed him against the wall, beginning to kiss his way down the blond’s neck, sucking a deep hickey onto his collarbone. 

“What, you wanna kill me, mortal?” he muffled a chuckle, looking into sky blue eyes. 

“No!” Tony laughed, leaning his head back on the wall. “Just… I want to do everything with _ you _ . It’s _ boring _when you aren’t there.”

“Likewise,” Rudolph murmured, crashing his lips against Tony’s, sliding his tongue into the boy’s mouth. Their tongues swirled together, fiercely rolling their hips against each other as the vampire planted firm hands in his hair. The blond moaned and allowed his boyfriend to lead him to their bed, sitting down automatically when the backs of his knees hit the edge. 

Rudolph removed Tony’s sweatshirt in a single motion, sliding out of his own jeans quickly before seating himself on the blond’s lap. Tony helped his vampire peel off his T-shirt, moaning as Rudolph rolled into his rapidly hardening cock. 

He fell back on the bed so that Rudolph shot forward into his lips, wrapping his arms around the teenager in the process. Tony grinned as Rudolph moved him over towards the headboard, laying his head gently onto a pillow. 

The vampire stripped Tony’s jeans and underwear off wildly, peppering his chest and legs with frantic kisses. “Oh god, Tony,” he growled as he climbed up his body. He stole another hot kiss as he planted his hands on either side of the blond’s head. Tony whined into it, reaching down to tug at his boyfriend’s waistband. Rudolph broke away smirking and removed his own underwear hastily. Once he had thrown them aside, Rudolph hovered above the boy, lowering himself to kiss his neck hungrily. 

When he felt Tony clench, he pulled away, a smirk gracing his lips. 

“I’m not going to bite you yet, mortal,” he teased, running a cool fang over his skin so he could hear Tony gasp beneath him. Then he lowered his head so his mouth was pressed against Tony’s ear, whispering, “I want to feel your warmth one more time. I want to feel your life for one last night.”

And with that, Rudolph sucked a deep crimson hickey into the blond teenager’s neck, causing him to whimper under his mouth. The vampire then reached into the bedside table to retrieve the lube, popping open the cap with his thumb while creating more dark marks on his neck. Tony bucked up into Rudolph, crying out as he clutched the sheets tightly. 

His boyfriend squirted the liquid onto his fingertip, turning to smirk at Tony before reaching down to press a finger into Tony’s entrance. The blond moaned, bringing his knees up so that Rudolph could enter a second digit. He spread his fingers apart, working them languidly inside Tony. He found his prostate easily, which caused the teenager to cry out, his arms flying out in front of him to grip Rudolph’s back. The immortal then pressed in a third finger carefully, stretching Tony out further before he removed his fingers, pulling away from the blond as he set to work spreading lube onto his own swelling cock, then leaning over Tony again to line himself up to the blond haired teenager’s hole.

Tony moaned loudly when he felt the tip of the vampire’s length touch his entrance, bucking up on the bed. Rudolph puffed out a small laugh and turned his head to kiss the inside of Tony’s thigh. “I love you, darling,” he said endearingly as he prepared to push into the mortal again. 

This time, he entered Tony thoroughly and the mortal took in a sharp breath, seeing stars behind his eyelids. They paused there, waiting for a bit to catch their breath; they were already panting against one another. 

With the first thrust, Tony cried out, pulling Rudolph close when he threw his hands across his vampire’s back once more. 

“Oh _ god _,” Tony whispered, biting softly onto Rudolph’s shoulder. The dark haired boy moaned and pushed into the blond feverishly. He rocked against Tony with ease, gradually increasing the rate of his thrusts. “Oh, Rudy!” Tony yelled as he began to slam into the boy. He held on tightly, hooking his legs around Rudolph’s waist. 

With each new thrust, the two grunted louder, unable to control their needs. They remained flush together, not wanting to move apart ever again. Rudolph brushed his nose against Tony’s neck, causing the tanned boy to cry out erotically. Beads of sweat formed on their brows, and Tony clutched onto his boyfriend ever tighter, digging blunt fingernails into his pale skin. 

“You’re gorgeous,” the vampire growled, banging into Tony as his length moved in and out erratically while they each rapidly neared the edge. “I love you,” he grunted, continuing to quicken the pace. “I love you, I love you, _ I love you_.” 

Sweat gleamed off of Rudolph, and Tony as well. He clung onto his vampire as if his life depended on it. He clung on so that he might never have to leave this beautiful person ever again. He didn’t want to part for another century. He didn’t want to be away from Rudolph for a moment; Tony wanted him all to himself. 

Hearing Tony’s gasping cries, Rudolph took up the blond haired boy’s cock in his hands and started to pump it. He stroked over beads of precome and pressed kisses all over Tony’s face and neck. “Ah! Please… Rudy! Please, oh!” Tony cried as he felt that familiar build up in his abdomen. “Y- you’re so… _amazing_,” he babbled as Rudolph pounded into him, stroking along to the deep thrusts. 

“_Oh, Rudy!_” he continued to ramble profusely as he could feel himself so close when the vampire hit his prostate. The bed shook vigorously and Tony’s head rattled against the headboard. 

“That’s it, Tony!” Rudolph moaned, erratically pushing in and out as he too grew even closer. “You feel _ so good, _darling,” he growled, causing Tony to moan as well as blush. 

And with a few more desperate thrusts, Tony came in Rudolph’s hand. The blond threw back his head and groaned loudly, tightening around his boyfriend. Hot white liquid spurt over them sloppily. That caused Rudolph to tip over the edge not seconds after the mortal, a wave of warmth flowing through Tony along with a deep sigh, followed by a seductive moan. The dark haired teenager sunk down to bring his lips to Tony’s neck, nibbling and sucking at it as he continued to push into the teenager beneath him. Tony bit his lip to stop from screaming with pleasure, streams of sweat rolling off his chest and forehead while he panted heavily. 

“Oh _ god_, Rudolph,” he moaned and gripped the boy tighter so that he could bring his head up to Rudolph’s. Rudolph thrust in a few more times before he slowed to a stop. He came to the mortal’s face and brushed his nose adoringly against Tony’s. The blond broke out into a bright smile, pulling Rudolph even closer to him. Their mouths melted together with a sweet touch of lips. 

The vampire pulled out of Tony carefully, both moaning into each other’s mouths. Rudolph bit onto his human’s bottom lip as he collapsed to his side. He threw an arm across Tony’s chest, squeezing gently and pressing a chaste peck to his shoulder that caused him to let out a soft chuckle before the vampire laid his head there. 

“I wish I could feel your warmth forever,” he panted against Tony’s skin.

The blond wrapped his arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders, pulling him in. “When I’m a vampire, I’ll do whatever I can to make you happy.”

“Oh, darling,” he cooed, bringing his lips to Tony’s collarbone momentarily, “just being with you will make me the happiest vampire on earth.” 

Tony grinned into Rudolph’s earthy-scented hair, pecking his scalp with the gentlest kiss that made his boyfriend sigh below. “I love you. Just being able to hear your laugh, kiss your lips, and talk with you for hours on end will keep me sane for the rest of my days,” and with that Rudolph leaned over and kissed Tony, neither of them ever wanting to let go again. 

So Tony fell asleep with a relaxed smile on his face, holding his wonderful boyfriend securely.

It was only them, the sheets and the moonlight. Nothing else in the world mattered now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please stay safe, everyone, I’m thinking of you♡︎


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH we’re almost done!! This has been an amazing journey and I’m glad everyone has liked this fic <3

Rudolph spent the next few following days holding Tony. He never seemed to let go. He never seemed to want to let go. 

When Tony would ask him about this, Rudolph pounced on his lips, their mouths meeting in a searing kiss leading to blissful fondling that caused the blond to shut up and promptly forget about it. 

So Tony spent the those days leading up to his final night as a mortal cuddled against Rudolph, reminiscing over faded memories they couldn't quite grasp, and old struggles that disappeared once they met each other. The vampire kept fiddling with Tony’s features. He cupped his cheeks, ran shaky fingers through his sandy blond hair, and gazed into his eyes for hours. He kept trying to listen to Tony’s heartbeat, pressing his ear or a hand against it, never stopping to answer when Tony asked him what he was doing. When he smiled, Rudolph flashed back a bittersweet one, reaching out to touch him again. He spent most of his time kissing the blond though, flicking his tongue around his mouth. Tony could tell he was trying to memorize his warmth- his human features. He didn’t mind. Whatever made Rudolph ready to turn him, he would let him do. Tony didn’t mind if he was bitten at any second, it only mattered to him if his boyfriend was ready or not. 

Then on the third day, the vampire returned to their room after having a long conversation with his parents- Tony had heard brief periods of muffled commotion coming from downstairs. He was slightly colored in the cheeks, but Tony brushed it off when he beamed at the blond as he drifted into the bedroom. 

“Come along darling,” he murmured, taking Tony’s hand. “I’m taking you out on a date tonight.”

“You  _ what _ ?” Tony chuckled, allowing Rudolph to lead him out the window. “Shouldn’t we put something nice on?”

“Do you have any ‘nice’ clothes you are speaking of?” he asked, glancing up from navigating the streets below. 

“I guess not,” Tony couldn’t remember the last time he wore a suit: okay, he did rent one for graduation, but he didn’t actually own nice clothing. He had never had the need to own things like that when he was spending all his time being forced to hunt with Rookery. 

He’d never been on an actual date before. “I’ve never been on an actual date before,” he dumbly repeated out loud. Rudolph turned away from the road and stopped them in midair. He put his free hand on the back of Tony’s neck, pulling him in so that their mouths met momentarily. 

“It’ll be alright,” he whispered. Both boys pulled back smiling softly, and Rudolph gave the blond’s hand a gentle squeeze before they were off again. 

They flew for a few minutes more before landing at the back of a dark square building. The parking lot was nearly empty as they arrived, which was good because it meant there would be less people to possibly figure out that Rudolph was, in fact, a vampire. 

Rudolph held the frosted glass door open for Tony, smiling sweetly at him as the boy was bombarded by pleasant warmth and soft classical music. He felt his vampire grasp his hand once again, and lead him to the front desk where a chipper looking server smiled brightly at them. 

“How may I help you two tonight?” he asked. 

“We have a reservation under Sackville-Bagg,” he replied, giving Tony’s hand a quick squeeze. 

“O…kay,” the server said, checking his computer for their name. When he found it he immediately grabbed two large menus with red leather covers. The man placed the menus down on a small table near the back, far enough away from the other guests. Rudolph pulled out a chair and motioned for Tony to sit in it, smiling kindly at him. As his boyfriend seated himself, Tony noticed the small candle in the center of the table, flickering brightly on the white tablecloth. The blond beamed at Rudolph. He was so utterly happy with him, and he was so glad he would be with him for the rest of his days. 

They ordered quickly, spending most of their time discussing what they could do once Tony was turned. 

“I suppose I could go to college if I really wanted to- I still have a lot of Rookery’s money, but I don’t even  _ need  _ a job at this point, so I think it would end up being a waste,” he took a sip of water, watching as Rudolph thoughtfully pondered something. He placed his hand on top of the pale boy’s icy one, who snapped his head up immediately at the touch. “What is it, baby?”

Rudolph glanced around nervously and bit his lip, settling on staring at the small candle on the table. 

“I, uh…” Rudolph chewed at his lip a bit, turning his hand over so that Tony could take it. “Before we left… I… I told my parents about- about us.”

He took a shaky breath, not quite meeting the boy’s eyes until he gave his hand a consoling squeeze. “What happened, Rudy?”

“They’re terribly upset, as expected,” he sighed, running his fingers through his ink-black hair. “They’re upset that I’m in a relationship with a mortal, and they’re upset that I’ve hidden you from them all this time without their knowledge. They were even more livid when I said we’d planned to turn you.”

Tony let out a soft  _ oh  _ sound and held onto Rudolph more tightly. A faint smile ghosted across the vampire’s lips, and he took a shaky breath before continuing. “They obviously didn’t support the fact that I’m going to be drinking your blood… but once they got over that, I was able to talk- er… argue… with them—” he broke off grinning when Tony snorted into his water. “I eventually semi-convinced them to let you join the clan once you become a vampire. The clan- well, mainly my father- might not be very accepting at first, but I’m sure they’ll warm up to you.

“You know…” Rudolph ran his finger gently over Tony’s palm and looked up at him through heavy lashes, “I think everyone will be secretly relieved that I’ve found someone who I want to spend eternity with so I’ll stop bothering them with my boredom. I can just bother you now, darling.”

“ _ Aww _ , me too, baby,” Tony couldn’t suppress a wide smile that spread across his face as they parted when they saw the waiter approaching the table with their meals. 

＊＊＊

The rest of dinner was spent in deep conversation. Ordering dessert and coffee at the end, Rudolph paid the check with Euros he exchanged with the Deutsche Marks he had left. He and Tony walked about hand in hand down winding roads filled with little shops for a while until the vampire began to yawn. 

“Alright, Rudy,” Tony cooed, giving his hand a squeeze. “Let’s get you home.”

Rudolph turned to the blond and looked oddly at him. “Why should we go home? It’s only eleven o’ clock.”

Tony grinned at Rudolph and stopped him on the sidewalk. Pulling him in by the lapels of his boyfriend’s jacket, their lips met tenderly for a moment or two, filled with heat and passion that caused Rudolph to reach out and grip the teenager’s waist tightly. Tony pulled away and rested their foreheads together. “Because, you big buffoon, I can’t have you falling asleep while you fly us home,” Rudolph swatted the boy lightly on the hip, smiling down at him. “Hey!” he laughed, “One of us is still a mortal, and I’m gonna bet it’s not the…  _ alluringly sexy _ three hundred and eighteen year old that’s gonna fall asleep soon if I don’t get you back in bed!”

The vampire blushed at the compliment, but grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. Tony laughed, giving Rudolph a chaste kiss before pulling back so he could put his hand in his. They intertwined their fingers together, and with that, Rudolph pushed off and they were soaring above the town again.

As the icy wind whipped through his hair, Tony wondered just how different it would be to become a vampire. Besides not being able to be exposed to sunlight, Tony felt like it wouldn’t be too different. He couldn’t help the uneasiness he felt though that this would be the last time flying with Rudolph as a mortal. Once he was turned, he wouldn’t need to hold Rudolph’s hand to fly. That scared him. 

Rudolph was his support; his rock. He was used to having him nearby to help him at all times. But to be able to go off without him? That was terrifying. He never wanted, not even for a single waking moment, to be away from him. The thought of becoming distant from Rudolph was the only thing at the back of his mind creating doubts about turning. 

“Can we just lie down for a little bit?” Rudolph yawned as they entered through their window.

“Of course, honey,” Tony replied sweetly, leading him to the bed. He directed the vampire to sit, where he slid off his boots and jeans, and, pulling off his coat, Tony laid him out under the covers. He sighed sleepily into the pillow and curled up, a content smile spreading across his lips. 

Tony smiled as well, ruffling Rudolph’s soft ink-black hair before he timidly left the room. He padded down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen, growing closer to soft Bavarian music playing in the large room. Tony poured himself a bowl of cereal instead of reheating the countless bratwursts in the fridge, so he sat at a large vacant oak table, eating soggy Lucky Charms until he heard someone clear their throat. 

He froze when he saw Rudolph’s mother standing in the threshold. All the blond could do was stare at the female vampire as she glided soundlessly over to the table. 

“Tony Thompson,” she rasped, “I was wondering when I would have the pleasure of seeing you again.”

Tony said nothing, trying to collect the courage to say something articulate in the face of his boyfriend’s mother. All he did was gape at her and drop his spoon into the bowl with a deafening clink that seemed to echo off every surface in the room. 

“Oh, I see,” she said, sitting down at the table with him. “You’re more of the quiet type, I can tell.”

“I- sorry, M- Mrs. Sackville-Bagg—” he began, but she held up a hand to cut his stammering off. 

“Please, dear,” she soothed, placing a freezing hand atop his. “Call me Freda. We’ll be much closer from now on.”

“Y- you’re not upset? About… Rudy- sorry- Rudolph… and I?”

She chuckled at the nickname for her son, giving his hand a light squeeze. “Of course not. I’ll admit I  _ was  _ slightly taken aback that he was interested in a mortal, but now that you’ll be one of us soon, we’ll be more than happy to have you in the family.”

“T- thank you Mrs. Sa- Freda,” he ventured, forcing an amiable smile. 

“I’ll have you know that I positively enjoyed you at my son’s birthday party. You boys looked so in love then.”

“We- we weren’t even—”

“Together?” she grinned. “Ah, that reminds me of the time when Frederick and I began dating… well before we even became vampires. So in love… we hardly even knew it. I could see that in you two all throughout that night. It’s so lovely that you’ve decided to spend the rest of time together.”

Tony looked down and bit his lip nervously. Freda noticed his uneasiness and cooed slightly.

“Oh… dearie,” she muttered, flashing him a bittersweet smile. “Having second thoughts, are we?”

“No! I mean… maybe. I don’t know. I was the one who talked him into this, and now that it’s about to happen, everything he said to counter my argument is rushing back.

“Basically… I’m nervous about this because I’m worried that he’ll hate me in the end… that he’ll cast me out or… or leave forever. The only reason I’m doing this is because I… I love him, and if I don’t have him when I’m immortal… I don’t really know what I’d do.”

“Now you listen to me, dear,” she said, her deep rogue lips stretching sweetly. “From the little time that I saw you, I could see how much Rudolph cared about you. And if I know my son, I’m certain he won’t let you go if he doesn’t have to. 

“You know… although Frederick may not be the easiest man- you’ve seen- after all these years, we are still just as in love as before we turned. Rudolph clearly loves you as much as you do, and believe me, I bet you he is having the same worries as you right now.”

The corners of Tony’s lips upturned as he thought of his gorgeous boyfriend sleeping soundly upstairs. He hoped he wouldn’t make Rudolph too upset for leaving him up there by himself. 

“Well?” the vampire exclaimed, causing him to flinch. “Go to him!”

“Right,” Tony said, leaping up. Before he left though, he gave Mrs. Sackville-Bagg a quick kiss on her icy cheek. “Thank you… for everything.”

“Of course, dear,” she called after the blond, “go get him!”

With a weight lifted off his shoulders, Tony practically bounced down the gloomy hallways and upstairs, walking quickly to their bedroom. Rounding a corner, however, he bumped straight into Rudolph. Both let out startled yelps, but relaxed once they realized it was the one they were hoping to find. 

A warm smile spread across the mortal’s face as he glanced over his boyfriend, who was adorably wrapped in a bedsheet, looking absolutely dazed but pretty damn cute at the same time. 

“What are you doing up?” Tony questioned as he placed his hand in Rudolph’s while the boys began walking back to their room. “You were asleep when I left.”

“I wasn’t,” he replied timidly, blushing. “I- I was waiting for you to join me… I can’t fall asleep anymore without you beside me, darling.”

Tony’s heart leapt in his chest. At that exact moment he knew he was completely ready to spend eternity with this vampire. He was ready to go into a new life with him; to be by his side forever. 

“That’s why you’re out here? You came looking for me?” the blond smirked, bending over to kiss his vampire’s cheek. Rudolph let out a helpless sound and nodded bashfully. “Then let’s get you to bed again.”

Arriving upon their bedroom, Tony led him to the bed, where he climbed under the covers with the pale boy, sharing the bed sheet he had been wearing. He wrapped his arm around Rudolph’s waist from behind, running a hand underneath his sweater, which made the vampire sigh euphorically. The blond haired teenager placed his chin in the crook of Rudolph’s neck, breathing in his luscious earthy scent. 

But Rudolph immediately turned around in bed, causing Tony to make a confused sound as he pressed a hand to the blond’s chest, still being held securely in Tony’s arms. 

“Wh- what are you doing?” Tony chuckled, still expecting the immortal not to answer once again. 

This time though he came right out and said it, and with such nonchalance, “I’m feeling your heartbeat.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve always loved your heartbeat.”

“Oh.”

“I’ve always loved you,” Rudolph said with such composure, like it didn’t make Tony’s heart ache. “I was so infatuated with you when I saw you for the first time. I couldn’t think straight for a week. I forced myself to stay away for years.” 

“You… wait, what?” Tony exclaimed. He had come back about a week later after their first meeting, so what was he on about? 

“I… don’t know if you recall this but… a long time ago, I was flying through the small town where you lived, and I saw out of the corner of my eye that a light was on in a house- which doesn’t really happen at three in the morning.”

Tony giggled and kissed Rudolph’s lips tenderly before he continued, “That’s when I saw you… just you. After that I couldn't care less about the light. I saw you, and I think you were looking back. I flew off before I had the chance to get a closer look, but from what I could tell you were positively gorgeous.”

“Oh, stop,” Tony teased, touching noses with him lovingly. 

“I can’t help it, you’re perfect,” he beamed while Tony flushed a deep scarlet. “So I spent a few months thinking about you, and another deciding that I needed to see you again, and another talking myself down… and then I realized two years had gone by. But I  _ did _ get to see you again… due to unfortunate circumstances, yes… but we met nevertheless, and I couldn’t be happier to have been hurt and then met you and loved you than to have lived with the one memory of seeing a charming nameless young man sitting at his window. You don’t know how much you mean to me, Tony Thompson. You saved me. I love you more than words can express.”

“Oh, Rudolph,” Tony choked out. He was nearly in tears, “I saw you too. Your memory made my nightmares disappear awhile. I ran away with you so many times, you know,” they both broke into giggles, clutching tightly to each other. He needed to kiss his boyfriend right now. So he did, their mouths melting together in a searing, passionate kiss that sent stars all over Tony’s body. When they parted, both were panting longingly, with the vampire’s hands still on the blond’s chest. 

“Can I actually talk to you about something?”

Rudolph nodded, a warm smile spread out across his face. 

“Uhm, I ran into your mother downstairs.”

“Huh?” Rudolph looked up into Tony’s eyes worriedly, searching for some explanation of the events that had transpired. 

“Don’t freak out, we just talked,” the vampire leaned back, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “We did!”

“About what, though?”

“Us.”

“Of course, yeah,” Rudolph looked even more anxious now. 

“She said she approved. Of us.”

“Really?” Rudolph stared at him doubtfully. “Really?” he raised his voice, shocked. 

“Yes! She wanted to say how she was excited for me to become a member of your family. Which, by the way, was very sweet of her, since I basically have no family.”

“You have me.”

“Of course I have you,” he murmured, ruffling his boyfriend’s hair. “But she wanted me to talk to you about something.”

“Okay?” Rudolph said, looking up apprehensively at the blond holding him. 

“Uhm… I don’t really know how to start, but I guess she was saying something about being nervous.”

“Because you were nervous,” Rudolph blatantly stated, not skipping a beat. 

“No! Well… maybe,” Rudolph raised an eyebrow. “Okay! Yes. I was nervous. But she helped me realize that you’re the only person in my life, and I never want to lose you. 

“Rudolph… I was raised thinking that I had no one who cared for me. I was raised thinking I was alone and no one would ever, _ever _possibly want me. And then you decided to show up seventeen years into my life, and I fell in love with you. I fell in love with you because I finally understood what it felt like to be wanted. I realized I found someone who wanted me for me, and wouldn’t ever take me for granted.

“You told me once that vampires can’t feel love, but I completely disagree with that. You are the most kind, caring, passionate, gentle, easygoing, and all around the most perfect, loving being I’ve ever met. Your being a vampire is just a cog in the machine. I fell in love with you knowing that you could just as easily kill me as kiss me, because I trust you, and I want to be with you forever. I’ll never get tired of you because I love you. I love you like I just realized it. I love you like I’ve known it forever. In a way, I have. I could tell I was falling for you when you told me your name. Every day I fall even more in love with you, and at this point, I have no intention of going back on that. Rudolph Sackville-Bagg; Rudy; darling; baby, I can’t live without you, and I don’t plan on it either.”

“Oh god, Tony,” Rudolph half sobbed- no- sobbed- he was sobbing.

“Rudy…” the blond cooed, bringing his vampire close to his chest. He felt him tremble against him, hot tears pouring down his cheeks. All he could do was lie there as his boyfriend shook with partial gasps, trying to calm down. Tony stroked his back, pressing soft kisses in his hair. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“I know,” Rudolph sniffled, “I just don’t deserve you at all. I- I can’t possibly be someone you would want to be with forever, and- and I feel as though I’m unfit to be yours. I’m worried you might be making a mistake choosing me is all, because- because I love you with all my cold dead heart.”

“Oh stop it,” Tony snapped, lifting Rudolph’s head up so he would look at him. He wiped away the remaining tears from his cheeks, kissing him softly. “You deserve the world, Rudolph. I can’t imagine a life without you- that’s why I’m going to become a vampire. So we can have each other forever.”

“Ok- okay,” the dark haired boy whispered, bringing his lips to Tony’s again. “Wh- when are we going to do it then?” he asked shyly, as if they hadn’t already decided when. 

“We were gonna do it tomorrow night, love.”

Rudolph blew out a long, shaky breath. “Alright,” he said, moving in bed so he was endlessly close to Tony, his ear pressed up against the blond’s chest, listening to his pounding heart, feeling his breaths. 

“Do you want to do it later, Rudolph?” Tony asked after a moment of silence. His vampire looked up with glassy maroon eyes. He sighed, kissing his neck over and over until Tony moaned with pleasure. 

“If you let me delay it, then I’ll never let you be turned… we need to turn you tomorrow.”

“If that’s totally okay with you,” the mortal leaned his head back and exposed his neck, allowing Rudolph to continue going over his skin, kissing every inch of his face and neck. When he had slowed down, he yawned, snuggling back into Tony’s arms. The blond felt his boyfriend’s breath hinder as he faded off to sleep. Rudolph mumbled Tony’s name unconsciously, making the mortal blush like the first time he had seen him all those years ago. He drifted off to sleep with his heart hammering against his chest and a resolved feeling in his stomach. He would get used to being a vampire. He would get used to it for Rudolph. He would give up anything for Rudolph, even his life. And he was prepared. 


	23. Chapter 23

Tony woke up to a kiss at the base of his collarbone, cool lips pressed against his tanned skin. He opened his eyes, batting his lashes blearily at the pale boy above him. 

“Hey,” he said, allowing Rudolph to kiss him gently, coaxing out a sleepy moan from the blond teenager. 

“Hey,” the vampire whispered, fingering through Tony’s golden hair. There was something excited yet bittersweet in his countenance; he smiled warmly, but his eyes danced about with a miserable undertone, appearing to try and take in all of Tony at once; trying to memorize his sun kissed skin, his sky blue eyes, long blond lashes, and soft hazel freckles. Tony could feel Rudolph shift slowly, moving to straddle his hips. He bent down, wrapping an arm tightly around Tony’s shoulders. The other arm rested by his side so that he could cup the mortal’s face as they kissed yet again, their mouths melting together in a desperate kiss that left Tony jumbled and confused just as he was trying to wake up. 

When Tony attempted to rise into a sitting position, Rudolph pushed him down, pouncing fervently at the blond’s lips once more. 

“Woah, hey!” Tony pushed back as much as he wouldn’t like to, but something was off. He reached out to touch Rudolph’s cheek, grazing a thumb over it. “Are you alright?”

“Of course I’m not,” the vampire choked out. “I have to kill you in a few hours, and I don’t know what to do.”

Tony’s heart stuck in his throat. “Baby,” he pulled Rudolph down, “come here.”

The dark haired boy reluctantly obliged and lay down curled up beside Tony. His breaths were quickening, and Tony noticed this, turning over onto his side so that he could bring him in closer to his body. “Everything’s going to be okay, Rudy,” he whispered, running fingers through his soft ink-black hair. “I’m still going to be with you after… all that. There’s _ no way _I’m leaving you forever.”

That didn’t seem to help all that much, because he felt Rudolph begin to snuggle into the blond teenager’s chest, his shoulders quivering. 

“Rudy,” he pleaded, pulling him impossibly closer so that his sniffles would somehow subside. “Please don’t… if you keep doing that I’m going to cry too. I don’t want us to be sad today.”

Rudolph looked up with a touch of calmness on his face, and he appeared to be trying to keep himself under control. “Ok- okay,” he sniffed, rubbing at his eyes as he snuggled into Tony again. 

“I- I could put on some music, if you’d like,” the mortal cut into a long uncomfortable silence. His boyfriend nodded, shivering slightly when Tony moved away to find a record that suited the moment. Eventually deciding on a disc picked at random, Tony placed the spindle on it and a soft rhythm began to trickle out of it, immersing the room in calming music. When Tony returned to his previous position in bed, Rudolph wrapped his arms around the blond teenager’s waist. He inched up his shirt, running cool hands along Tony’s warm, tan skin. 

Rudolph wrapped his legs around Tony, pulling him so close it almost hurt. So the mortal flipped over, hovering above his boyfriend sprawled out on the bed. Their lips met in a searing kiss when he bent down, evoking an involuntary whine from Rudolph. They kissed over and over, each touch of lips becoming more desperate and panicked. 

Then, Tony pulled away. The vampire let out an indignant shout when he got off the bed, but smiled when he offered his hand out to the immortal. 

“Rudolph Sackville-Bagg, may I have this dance?” he smirked at his boyfriend through heavy lashes, watching as the boy slid out of bed. 

“I would be much obliged, Tony Thompson,” he winked, placing his hand in the blond’s open palm. Tony bent down and brought Rudolph’s hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back just like the first time they had danced; just a feather brush of lips that made the immortal take in a sharp, desiring breath. 

“My pleasure,” he murmured, leading his vampire by the hand. Rudolph blushed an alluring lilac shade that made the blond boy sigh inwardly.

“_Tony_,” Rudolph breathed shakily, an aroused shade spreading across his cheeks. 

“Anything for you,” Tony whispered, placing both his hands on his boyfriend’s waist, bringing him close. Rudolph sighed tiredly as he wrapped his arms around the mortal’s shoulders and pressed their foreheads together.

Tony closed his eyes, but could still feel his vampire’s gaze burning through him. His breath was beginning to come in shallow. So Tony leaned his head away, catching Rudolph’s stare. _ You know what you have to do, _Tony reasoned with his eyes. 

The dark haired teenager scowled for a fraction of a second; he knew exactly what Tony was trying to express. He buried his head into the blond’s shoulder, swaying with him along to the music. Tony leaned his head against Rudolph’s, feeling the soft tingle of his spiked hair against his cheek. They danced unhurriedly throughout the room as song faded to song, melodies and rhythms beating along with their hearts. The entire time Tony murmured soothing _ I love you _’s and sweet, careless whispers. They eventually lapsed into silence, still swaying with the music. 

“Please don’t leave me,” Rudolph abruptly whispered into his neck. He was choking up with tears. 

“I’ll never… ever leave you,” Tony bit back tears as well, wishing for half a second that the other lovers Rudolph had had throughout the years had shown him what it was like to love and be loved so much that one didn’t have a single doubt the other would be gone one day. But then, Tony might not have gotten the chance to be with him romantically. Ever. So the blond boy decided he had better help Rudolph learn that for when he was a vampire. 

“Rudy?” Tony waited for a noncommittal grunt that escaped the immortal’s throat before continuing, “You know…” he sighed, burying his face in his boyfriend’s hair. “After that night I saved you and got rid of Rookery…” Rudolph began sucking deep, continuous kisses along Tony’s neck at this, trying to console him but unintentionally leaving a trail of dark hickeys along his skin as his lips moved haphazardly against him. Yet the boy only chuckled, letting large tears slip past his eyelids when he smiled. When Rudolph realized Tony hadn’t continued, he looked up worriedly to see his somber eyes and damp cheeks. Rudolph’s face fell immediately and he brought his lips to the blond’s cheek. He kissed him over and over, whispering sweet things while he moved them to sit on their bed once more.

When Tony had wiped his eyes dry, he returned to his thought; “I… I didn’t expect you to come back… or want to talk to me…”

“Oh _ darling, of course _I wanted to talk to you, I was already hopelessly falling for you,” Rudolph interjected, cradling Tony’s face in his hands. 

“I was too… I just didn’t know _ you _ were yet. I could have left. I had planned on leaving that town behind for _ years. _ I dreamed of running away and never returning. But after that night, that night that I met _ you, _ when I saw _ you _ up close and touched _ you _ for the first time, those dreams just… melted away. I never thought of leaving again, not until you asked me to move in with you. 

“Rudy, I love you. I’m pretty sure I loved you then as well. I could have left my awful past behind me… but I stayed. Somehow, I decided to stay. And then I realized not long ago that I stayed because of you, I just hadn’t understood it then. Rudolph, you’re the sole reason. You’re the reason I stayed.”

Rudolph stood silent for a minute, staring at Tony with a blank expression and stroking softly through his golden blond hair. Then his lip trembled and he pulled Tony’s head forward so that they met in a smooth, doting kiss, filled with love, desperation, compassion, and resolve. The blond whimpered into the kiss, pulling Rudolph in by the waist. His vampire cupped his face tenderly, all the while dipping his cool tongue into Tony’s mouth over and over, lapping at his warmth, truly memorizing it as if he didn’t already know exactly what he felt like. When they broke away smiling, Rudolph placed a hand at the nape of Tony’s neck, toying with his disheveled hair. The pale boy bit his lip, his maroon eyes shimmering unsteadily. Tony glanced at the single fang poking at his skin, leaving a worried divet in his chin. 

The mortal looked his boyfriend in the eyes with a newfound determination. Rudolph saw what Tony meant immediately and a flash of panic crossed his face, but the blond moved his hand to reach out and cup his cheek, nodding reassuringly. _ It’s time. _

Rudolph sighed sadly, a puff of air blowing out softly against Tony’s cheek as he was directed to lie down on the bed. Rudolph climbed over him, suspended above as he dipped to Tony’s neck, kissing it softly, so softly that it sent shivers down his spine. There was no urgency in those kisses, like Rudolph had only just accepted everything, like he was beginning to understand what this new chapter in their lives would be. 

“Years ago,” Rudolph mumbled into his neck, moving to lie beside the blond haired teenager, his head propped up on his hand. “I caught a glimpse of a fifteen year old boy in a tiny blue house just a few miles from home. I hadn’t stopped thinking… dreaming… _ fantasizing _ about you for years; until I was captured by that foul man. When I saw you again, you were so much more beautiful up close. I was taken aback that you were to kill me, but I could see in those ocean blue eyes that you had a good heart. You saved me that day, and I think my afterlife began anew when I decided to talk to you. I felt so refreshed to find a person who actually wanted to hear about how _ I _ was doing, someone so selfless and virtuous that I fell in love that day we introduced ourselves. For the first time I finally felt like I could open up and not be judged for a second. 

“I was so used to being cast aside that I was almost scared off by your kindness, but something about you kept me coming; I couldn’t stay away. Even though I was scared I would lose control of myself and attack you, I came back. You’re like a drug, Tony Thompson. I can’t get enough. And that frightened me the first time we actually talked about our feelings for one another. I was so worried that I would fall apart if you decided you no longer wanted me. I was afraid you couldn’t love me the way I love you. But you do, and that’s all that matters now. No one in my life has _ ever _ loved me the way you do; endlessly. We have gotten through so much together, and I wouldn’t trade it for mortality. I’m prepared to spend the rest of our days together because, Tony Thompson, I love you. I’ve loved you forever, and I feel as though everything up until this point was leading me to you, no matter the hardships, no matter the cost. We’re made for each other, and I’ll always, _ always _love you.”

Tony beamed with tears spilling down his cheeks as he rushed in for another longing kiss, soft, slow, deep, fast, as Rudolph hovered above him once more. “I will _ always _ love you, Rudy,” Tony whispered as his vampire wiped away his tears. The crackle of the record player faded as he gazed into gentle maroon eyes that beckoned him in, telling him everything was alright. 

Tony closed his eyes, feeling kisses trail down to his neck, where, after a seemingly endless hesitant moment, the blond felt a sharp piercing there. He gasped soundlessly, gulping for breath as Rudolph pulled back quickly.

“Are you alright? I can stop. Are you sure-?” Tony pressed a finger to his boyfriend’s lips, smiling warmly as he leaned his head up to capture the dark haired boy’s lips one last time, feeling the sheer contrast of warm and cool, tongues memorizing taste and touch in seconds before they parted once more. Tony smiled, nodding comfortingly at the love of his life. Rudolph flashed a wary smile back, dipping down again to his neck where he pressed one more kiss to his tan freckled skin.

He sank his fangs back into Tony’s neck, sucking lightly as he felt Tony shudder beneath him, tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. Rudolph held onto Tony for dear life; as did Tony, his arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. 

“Rudy- baby- I lo- oh, _ I love you_,” he groaned as he felt blood being drawn from him like a river flowing through his veins. Pain shot throughout his body, but he didn’t care, he was going to be with Rudolph forever. He could withstand just a little more pain. Truth be told, it scared him feeling his boyfriend like this, out of control. But it didn’t matter now, it didn’t matter how much blood he had left. 

“Taste- you… _ you. You taste heavenly_.” Rudolph growled against his skin, clutching at Tony’s hair, another hand squeezed around his waist. 

“I- I- ah… Rudolph!” Tony yelled, throwing his head back as his vampire continued to drain him. He hooked his legs around the pale teenager’s waist, feeling Rudolph vibrate with desire. “Rudolph- I- oh Rud…” 

When Tony had begun to feel lighter, he loosened his iron grip on the immortal, seeing stars behind his eyelids when he closed them for a moment. He went limp and something seemed to almost flutter about inside him. He felt Rudolph realize this and immediately stop, dragging himself out of his trance-like state. Everything went silent when he pulled back, his eyes dancing across Tony’s paling face. He drew in a sharp breath and propped Tony’s head up in his hand as he wiped blood frantically from his lips, shaking the blond teenager so that he might not fade away just yet. 

“Nononononono,” he rambled desperately, moving to hold Tony’s face in his hands. His voice was choked with tears, causing the mortal’s heart to pang in his chest. “Wait, wait,” Tony looked into his glassy maroon eyes and smiled at Rudolph, his vision blurring. “I’m- I’m not ready yet. I wasn’t ready. Don’t _leave me_. You can’t leave me on my own.”

“You silly thing,” the blond giggled, reaching up to touch Rudolph’s damp cheek with a balmy hand, which the vampire leaned into, sniffling. “I’ll be back in a minute. Don’t worry about me. I love you, Rudolph Sackville-Bagg,” he giggled again. He felt giddy. Everything was fading. All he did was keep his gaze focused on his boyfriend’s beautiful, perfect face, his features contorted from the tears he was shedding. Tony wanted to make him feel better. 

He stopped trying to keep his head up, suddenly feeling very tired. 

“I love you Tony… Tony. Tony? Tony!” at that his vision faded completely, and he went lax in Rudolph’s arms. The mortal was sent into a swirling darkness, one without Rudolph; almost like a bad dream. 

＊＊＊

“Tony?” a whispered voice rang in his ears. Everything was black. _ I must still be sleeping. _

“Tony,” the voice called again. It was so smooth, like fine silk tumbling through Tony’s head. He wanted to reach out to the owner of the voice; to touch them softly; feel the curves of their skin against his fingertips. If only he could wake up. “Darling,” the voice choked out, cool hands cupping his face. 

_ Rudolph. _

Tony’s eyelashes fluttered, and he struggled to open his eyes. He felt heavy. He felt weak. With another strain, the boy’s eyes flew open.

_ Rudolph. _

He was so close, his maroon eyes wide, dancing about the blond’s face. “_Rudolph,_” Tony breathed. 

“Hey,” the vampire whispered. Tears glistened on his cheeks and he narrowed his eyes, baffled. “You- your eyes, Tony.”

“Hmm?” he was smiling softly up at his vampire. 

“They’re still blue, darling.” 

“Hmm?”

Rudolph beamed, pressing his forehead against Tony’s, tears rolling off his face. “You- Tony- your eyes are still blue. They didn’t turn red like everyone else’s. And your hair. It’s still blond. Tony, it’s golden blond,” he chuckled, sniffing quietly. 

A wide smile spread across Tony’s face, discovering his brand new pair of fangs when they pricked his bottom lip. He lifted an almost numb hand to touch the pointed teeth, running over the sharp ends cautiously. He then brought his hand out in front of him, examining the now pale gray skin, a purple undertone shimmering in the light of their bedroom. His lips stretched out slowly into a brighter smile, looking between his monotone fingers and his perfect vampire boyfriend. 

“I’m a vampire now,” he stated dumbly, his eyes widened at his lover. 

Rudolph chuckled again. “You’re a vampire now,” he breathed, leaning in to place a kiss on his now pale forehead. 

“We can be together now?” 

“We can be together now,” Rudolph smiled warmly, causing Tony to feel his ears heat up like the first time he saw the teenager. The blond vampire craned his neck upwards. Glancing down at his mouth, he looked into Rudolph’s tearful eyes, asking for permission like the first time they kissed. 

He nodded his head and, with the most tender force, their lips met in a relaxed, searing kiss that lasted until Tony ran out of breath. They broke apart reluctantly, relishing the new feelings and tastes of the blond vampire. Rudolph fingered through Tony’s hair, leaning down to kiss the pale blond once more. Tony reached up and held onto Rudolph’s face; it was the only thing that was grounding him now. He was dizzy. But Rudolph kept the spinning in his head still as he held him in his arms, promising to never let go.

“Forever?” Tony asked breathlessly as Rudolph moved down to kiss the still fresh wound on his neck. He felt Rudolph smile against his skin, and the dark haired boy pushed himself back to Tony’s cool lips. His eyes lingered on the blond boy’s new features before he leaned back in to kiss him again. And again. And again. Tony moaned softly into his boyfriend’s mouth, clutching at him tightly. Their tongues intertwined briefly, an icy feeling of mouths melting together. Rudolph eventually pulled away, lying on his side so that he could gather Tony into his arms. 

“Forever.”

Rudolph kissed his hair softly. They lay there, unhurried, cold hands running slowly up and down their bodies, still trying to memorize one another. Tony clutched him like a lifeline- Rudolph _ was _ his lifeline. 

The rising sun peeked through the curtains, the dawn of a new life streaming in in a sliver of burning gold. Tony couldn’t fathom how he was able to ever meet such a perfect person. He was just lucky, perhaps. But, lucky or not, he had found the love of his life; the one he could- and would- spend eternity with. 

**Fin**. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read this fic! A special thanks to you all who have been reading since the beginning, thank you! <3


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